Aid to the Heidelberg catechism

am

^Teidelberg Catechism

BX 9428 .G6 1904
Good, James I. 1850-1924
Aid to the Heidelberg
catechism

A I D:

TO THE

OF

PRiNCf)N

OCT 1 4 1929 _,

Heidelberg Catechism

BY

Rev. James I. Good, D. D.

Author of Historical Manual of the Reformed Church. His-
tory of the Reformed Church in the United States.
Famous Women of the Reformed Church.
Famous Missionaries of the Reformed
Church. Etc.

Central Publishing Hoitsk, 2969-2975 W. 25th 8t,
Olkvkland, Ohio.

OOPTKIGHT 1904.

PREFACE.

THIS booklet is prepared as its name indicates
to aid the pastor in catechization. The
Heidelberg Catechism, gives the doctrinal
statement of our religion, to this it adds also
the historical. On account of the peculiar cir-
cumstances in which we live in America our
children do not get the thorough instruction in
the Bible that is given in German}^ in the public
schools ; so we have added to the catechism
a brief Bible-history. As every catechumen
ought to know the history of his own church
we have also added a brief history of our Re-
formed church. Both are arranged in sections
so that regular lessons can be assigned. If, how-
ever, this additional instruction makes the com-
mittal of the catechism too great a labor, we have
also placed in the book the Shorter Heidelberg
Catechism by Rev. Prof. D. Van Home, D. D.,
(the best of all the abbreviations of our Cate-
chism) so that the learning of the answers may
be made easier. We are greatly indebted to Prof.
Van Home for this kindness. These various ad-
ditions make it the most complete aid to our cate-
chism that has been published. Hoping that this
book will prove helpful to pastors and be a mes-
senger of God to lead souls in our catechetical
classes to Christ, we prayerfully send it forth.

Digitized by the Internet Archive

in 2009 with funding from

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The Heidelberg Catechism.

Question 1.

What is thy only comfort in life and death?
Answer.

That I, with body and soul, both in Hfe
and death, am not my own, but belong to my
faithful Saviour Jesus Christ, who, with
His precious blood, hath fully satisfied for
all my sins, and delivered me from all the
power of the devil; and so preserves me,
that without the will of my heavenly Father,
not a hair can fall from my head ; yea, that
all things must be subservient to my salva-
tion ; and therefore, by His Holy Spirit, He
also assures me of eternal life, and makes
me sincerely willing and ready henceforth
to live imto Him.

For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify
Grod in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
1 Cor. 6:20.

The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleansethus from
all sin. lJohnl:7.

Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one
of them shall not fall on the ground without your
Father. But the very hairs of your head are all num-
bered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of mo-re value
than many sparrows. Matt. 10: 29—31.

The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit,
that we are the children of Gk»d: and if children, then
heirs ; heirs of Grod, and joint heirs with Ohi'ist. Rom.
8:16, 17.

5

THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

Question 2.

How many things are necessary for thee to
know, that thou, enjoying this comfort mayest live
and die happy ?

Answer.

Three ; the first, how great my sins and
miseries are; the second, how I may be de-
livered from all my sins and miseries ; the
third, how I shall express my gratitude to
God for such deliverance.

O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me
from the body of this death? I thank Grod through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Rom. 7: 24, 25.

FIRSTT PART.

OF MAN'S MISERY.
Question 3.

Whence knowest thou thy misery ?
Answer.

Out of the Law of God.

By the law is the knowledge of sin. Rom. 3: 20.

Question 4.
What does the law of God require of us ?
Answer.

Christ teaches us that briefly, Matt,
xxii, 3*7 — 40. Thou shalt love the Lord thy
God with all thy heart, with all thy soul,
with all thy mind, and with all thy strength.
This the first and great commandment.
6

THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

The second is like unto this : thoii shalt
love thy neighbor as thvself. On these two
commands hang the whole law and the
prophets.

Question 5.

Canst thou keep aU these things perfectly ?

Answer.

In no wise : for I am prone by nature
to hate God and my neighbor.

The carnal mind is enmity against God. Rom. 8: 7.

Question 6.

Did God then create man so wicked and per-
verse ?

Answer.

• By no means; but God created man
good, and after His own image, in right-
eousness and true holiness, that he might
rightly know God his Creator, heartily love
Him, and live with Him in eternal happi-
ness, to glorify and praise Him.

God created man in His own image, in the image of
God created He him. Gen. 1: 27.

Question 7.

Whence then proceeds this depravity of human
nature ?

Answer.

From the fall and disobedience of our
first parents, Adam and Eve, in Paradise-
hence our nature is become so corrupt that
we are all conceived and b'jrn in sin.

7

THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

By one man sin entered into the world, and death
by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all
have sinned. Rom. 5: 12.

Question 8.
Are we then so corrupt that we are wholly in-
capable of doing any good, and inclined to all wick-
edness ?

Answer.

Indeed we are, except we are regenerat-
ed by the Spirit of God.

Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit,
he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. John 3: 5.

Question 9.

Does not God then do injustice to man, by re-
quiring from him, in His Law, that which he can-
not perform ?

Answer.

Not at all : for God made man capable
of performing it; but man, by the instiga-
tion of the devil, and his own wilful disobe-
dience, deprived himself and all his posterity
of those divine gifts.

The serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty.
2 Cor. 11:3.

By one man's disobedience many were made
sinners. Rom. 5: 19.

Question 10.
Will God suffer sueh disobedience and rebellion
to go unpunished ?

Answer.
By no means : but is terribly displeased
8

THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

with our original as well as actual sins ; and
will punish them in His just judgment
temporally and eternally, as He hath de-
clared, "Cursed is every one that continueth
not in all things, which are written in the
book of the law, to do them."

We were by nature the children of wrath, even as
others. Eph. 2:3.

The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against
all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. Rom. 1 : 18.
Question 11.
Is not God then also merciful ?
Answer.
God is indeed merciful, but also just;
therefore His justice requires that sin, which
is committed against the most high majesty
of God, be also punished with extreme, that is,
with everlasting punishment, both of body
and soul.

And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed,
The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-
suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keep-
ing mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and trans-
gression and sin, and that will by no means clear the
guilty. Ex. 34:6, 7.

«

THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

SKCOND PART.

OF MAN'S DELIVERANCE.
Question 12.

Since then, by the righteous judgment of God,
we deserve temporal and eternal punishment : how
may we escape that punishment, and be again re-
ceived into favor ?

Answer.
God will have His justice satisfied; and
therefore we must make this full satisfac-
tion, either by ourselves or by another.
The soul that sinneth, it shall die. Ez. 18: 4.
Question 13.
Can we ourselves then make this satisfaction ?
Answer.
By no means; but on the contrary, we
daily increase our debt.

How should man be just with God ? If he will con-
tend with Him, he cannot answer Him one of a thou-
sand. Job9:2, 3; also Matt. 16:26.

Question 14.

Can there then be found any where, one, who
is a mere creature, able to satisfy for us ?
Answer.

None ; for first, God will not punish any

other creature for the sin which man hath

committed ; and further, no mere creature

can sustain the burden of God's eternal

10

THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

wrath against sin, so as to deliver others
from it.

None of them can oy any means redeem his
brother, nor give to God a ransom for him: for the
redemption of their soul is precious. Ps. 49: 7, 8.
Question 15.
What sort of a mediator and deliverer then
must we seek for ?

Answer.
For one who is very man, and perfectly
righteous; and yet more powerful than all
creatures ; that is, one who is also very God.
Question 16.
Why must He be very man, and also perfectly
righteous ?

Answer.

Because the justice of God requires that
the same human nature, which has sinned,
should likewise make satisfaction for sin ;
and one, who is himself a sinner, cannot
satisfy for others.

Such a high priest became us, who is holy, harm-
less, undeflled, separate from sinners, and made higher
than the heavens; who needeth not daily, as those
high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins,
and then for the people's. Heb. 7: 20, 27.

Question 17.

Why must He in one person be also very God ?
Answer.

That He might, by the power of His
11

THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

Godhead, sustain, in His human nature, the
burden of God's wrath; and might obtain
for, and restore to us, righteousness and Hfe.

He was wounded for our transgressions, He was
bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our
peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are
healed. By His knowledge shall my righteous servant
justify many ; for He shall bear their iniquities. Isa.
53:5,11.

Question 18.

Who then is that Mediator, who is in one per-
son, both very God, and a real righteous man ?
Answer.

Our Lord Jesus Christ : who of God is
made unto us wisdom, and righteousness,
and sanctification, and redemption.

There is one God, and one Mediator between Grod
and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave Himself a
ransom for all, to be testified in due time. 1 Tim. 2: 5, 6.

Question 19.

Whence knowest thou this ?
Answer.

From the holy Gospel, which God Him-
self revealed first in Paradise; and afterwards
published by the Patriarchs and Prophets,
and was pleased to represent it by the shad-
ows of sacrifices and the other ceremonies
of the law ; and lastly, has accomplished it
by His only begotten Son.

I will put enmity between thee and the woman,
and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy
head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Gen. 3: 15.
12

THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the
sin of the world! John 1:29.

For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us.
1 Cor. 5:7.

Question 20.

Are all men then, as they perished in Adam,
saved by Christ ?

Answer.

No; only those who are ingrafted into
Him, and receive all His benefits, by a true
faith.

God so loved the world, that He gave His only be-
gotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should
not perish, but have everlasting live. John 3: 16.

He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting
life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see
life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. John 3: 36.

Question 21.

What is true faith ?

Answer.

True faith is not only a certain knowl-
edge, whereby I hold for truth all that God
has revealed to us in His Word ; but also an
assured confidence which the Holy Ghost
works by the Gospel in my heart, that not
only to others, but to me also, remission of
sin, everlasting righteousness and salvation,
are freely given by God, merely of grace,
only for the sake of Christ's merits.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the
evidence of things not seen. Heb. 11 : 1.

By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not
13

THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

of yourselves: It is the gift of God: not of works, lest
any man should boast. Eph. 2: 8, 9.
Question 22.
What is then necessary for a Christian to be-
lieve ?

Answer.

All things promised us in the Gospel ;
which the Articles of our catholic undoubted
Christian faith briefly teach us.

Question 23.

What are these Articles ?
Answer.

/ believe in God the Father Almighty,
Maker of Heaven and Earth: And in Jesus
Christ His only begotten Son our Lord:
Who zvas conceived by the Holy Ghost:
Born of the Virgin Mary: Suffered tinder
Pontius Pilate: IV as crucified, dead, and
buried: He descended into Hell:"^' The third
day He rose from the dead: He ascended
into Heaven, and sitteth at the right hand
of God the Father Almighty: from thence
He shall come to judge the quick and the
dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost: I be-
lieve in the Holy Catholic Church: The
Communion of Saints: The Forgiveness of
Sins: The Resurrection of the Body: And
Life everlasting. Amen.

Question 24.
How are these Articles divided ?

» (or "Hades."— Directory of Worship.)
U

THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM,

Answer.

Into three parts : the first is of God the
Father, and our creation ; the second of God
the Son, and our redemption ; the third of
God the Holy Ghost, and our sanctification.
Question 25.
Since there is but one divine essence, why
speakest thou of Father, Son and Holy Ghost ?
Answer.
Because God hath so revealed Himself
in His Word, that these three distinct per-
sons are the only true and eternal God.

And Jesus.when He was baptized, went up straight-
way out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were
opened unto Him, and He saw the Spirit of God
descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him : and lo
a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son,
in whom I am well pleased. Matt. 3: 16, 17.

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of
the Holy Ghost. Matt. 28: 19.

GOD THE FATHER.
Question 26.

What helievest thou when thou sayest, "I be-
lieve in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven
and earth" ?

Answer.

That the eternal Father of our Lord Je-
sus Christ (who of nothing made heaven
and earth, with all that is in them, who like-
15

THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

wise upholds and governs the same by His
eternal counsel and providence) is, for the
sake of Christ His Son, my God and my
Father; on whom I rely so entirely, that I
have no doubt, but He will provide me with
all things necessary for soul and body;
and further, that He will make whatever
evils He sends upon me in this valley of
tears, turn out to my advantage : for He is
able to do it, being almighty God, and will-
ing, being a faithful Father.

Through faith we understand that the worlds were
framed by the word of God, so that things which are
seen were not made of things which do appear. Heb.
II; 3.

My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. John 5: 17.

If ye then, being evil, know how to give good

gifts unto your children, how much more shall your

Father which is in heaven give good things to them

that ask Him? Matt. 7: 11.

Question 27.
What dost thou mean by the Providence of
God?

Answer.
The almighty and everywhere present
power of God ; whereby, as it were, by His
hand. He upholds and governs heaven,
earth, and all creatures; so that herbs and
grass, rain and drought, fruitful and barren
years, meat and drink, health and sickness,
riches and poverty, yea, all things, come not
by chance, but by His fatherly hand.
16

THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

In Him we live, and move, and have our being.
Acts 17:28.

Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and
one of them shall not fall to the ground without
•your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all
numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye ai-e of more value
than many sparrows. Matt. 10: 29—31.

Question 28.

What advantage is it to us to know that God
has created, and by His providence doth still up-
hold all things ?

Answer.

That we may be patient in adversity;
thankful in prosperity ; and that in all things,
which may hereafter befall us, we place our
firm trust in our faithful God and Father,
that nothing shall separate us from His love ;
since all creatures are so in His hands, that
without His will they cannot so much as
move.

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of
God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 1 Thess. 5: 18.

I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor
angels, nor principalities, nor powers, northings pres-
ent, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any
other creature, shall be able to separate us from thb
love of Grod, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom.
8:38,39.

OF GOD THE SON.
Question 29.

Why is the Son of God called Jesus, that is,
Saviour ?

3 17

THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

Answer.

Because He saveth us, and delivereth
us from our sins ; and likewise, because we
ought not to seek, neither can find salvation
in any other.

The angel said to Joseph: and thou shalt call His
name Jesus: for He shall save His people from their
sins. Matt. 1: 21.

Question 30.
Do such then believe in Jesus the only Saviour,
who seek their salvation and happiness of saints,
of themselves, or any where else ?
Answer.
They do not : for though they boast of
Him in words, yet in deeds they deny Jesus
the only Deliverer and Saviour : for one of
these two things must be true, that either
Jesus is not a complete Saviour, or that they
who by a true faith receive this Saviour,
must find all things in Him necessary to
their salvation.

Neither is there salvation in any other: for there
is none other name under heaven given among men,
whereby we must be saved. Acts 4: 12.

Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid,
which is Jesus Christ. 1 Cor. 3: 11.
Question 31.
Why is He called Christ, that is, Anointed ?

Answer.

Because He is ordained of God, the
Father, and anointed with the Holy Ghost,
18

THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

to be our cloief Prophet and 1 eacher, who
has fully revealed to us the secret counsel
and will of God concerning our redemption ;
and to be our only High Priest, who by the
sacrifice of His body, has redeemed us, and
makes continual intercession wnth the Father
for us : and also to be our eternal king, who
governs us by His word and Spirit, and who
defends and preserves us in the enjoyment
of that salvation He has purchased for us.

We are sanctified througti tlie offering of tlie body
of Jesus Clirist once for all. Heb. 10: 10.

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and
they follow me : and I give unto them eternal life ; and
they shall never pei'ish, neither shr U any man pluck
them out of my hand. John 10: 27, 28.
Question 32.
But why art thou called a Christian ?
Answer.

Because I am a member of Christ by
faith, thus am partaker of His anoint-
ing, that so I may confess His name, and
present myself a living sacrifice of thankful-
ness to Him : and also that witl a free and
good conscience I may fight against sin and
Satan in this life ; and afterwards reign with
Him eternally over all creatures.

Because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit
of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
Gal. 4:6.

Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a
peculiar people. 1 Pet. 2: 9.
19

THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

Question 33.

Why is Christ called the only begotten Son
of God, since we are also children of God ?
Answer.

Because Christ alone is the eternal and
natural Son of God; but we are children
adopted of God, by grace, for His sake.

In the beginning was the Word. John 1 : 1.
For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ
Jesus. Gal. 3:26.

Question 34.
Wherefore callest thou Him, Our Lord ?
Answer.

Because He hath redeemed us, both
soul and body, from all our sins, not with
gold or silver, but with His precious blood,
and hath delivered us from all the power of
the devil ; and thus made us His own
property.

In whom we have redemption through His blood,
even the forgiveness of sins. Col. 1: 14.

Ye know that ye were not redeemed with corrupt-
ible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conver-
sation received by tradition from your fathers; but
with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without
blemish and without spot. 1 Pet. 1: 18, 19.

Question 35.

What is the meaning of these words. He was
conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin
Mary ?

20

THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

Answer.

That God's eternal Son, who is, and
continueth true and eternal God, took
upon Himself the very nature of man, of the
flesh and blood of the Virgin Mary, by the
operation of the Holy Ghost ; that He might
also be the true seed of David, like unto His
brethren in all things, sin excepted.

Whose are the fathers, and of whom a^concerning
the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for
ever. Amen. Rom. 9: 5.

Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and
call his name Immanuel. Isa. 7: 14.

He took not on Him the nature of angels ; but He
took on Him the seed of Abraham. Heb. 2: 16.

He was in all points tempted like as we are, yet
Without sin. Heb. 4:15.

Question 36.
What profit dost thou receive by Christ's holy
conception and nativity ?

Answer.
That He is our Mediator ; and with His
innocence and perfect holiness covers, in
the sight of God, my sins, wherein I was
conceived and brought forth.

For there is one God, and one Mediator between
God and men, the man Christ Jesus. 1 Tim. 2: 5.
Question 37.
What dost thou understand by the words : He

suffered ?

Answer.

That He, all the time He lived on earth

21

THE HEIDELBET^G CATECHISM.

but especially at the end of His life, sus-
tained in body and soul, the wrath of God
against the sins of all mankind : that so by
His passion, as the only propitiatory sacri-
fice. He might redeem our body and soul
from everlasting damnation, and obtain for
us the favor of God, righteousness and eter-
nal life.

He is despised and rejected of men: a man of
sorrows, and acquainted with grief. Isa. 53: 3.

Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His
own blood He entered in once into the holy place, hav-
ing obtained eternal redemption for us. Heb. 9: 12.

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilder-
ness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that
whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but
have eternal life. John 3: 14, 15.

Question 38.

Why did Christ suffer under Pontius Pilate, as
His judge?

Answer.

That He, being innocent and yet con-
demned by a temporal judge, might thereby
free us from the severe judgment of God, to
which we were exposed.

And when he had said this, he went out again un-
to the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no
fault at all. John 18: 38.

Question 39.

Is there anything more in His being crucified,
than if He had died some other death '{
22

THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

Answer.

Yes, there is ; for thereby I am assured,
that He took on Him the curse which lay
upon me; for the death of the cross was
accursed of God.

Question 40.
Why was it necessary for Christ to humble Him-
self even unto death ?

Answer.
Because, with respect to the justice and
truth of God, satisfaction for our sins could
be made no otherwise, than by the death of
the Son of God.

He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto
death, even the death of the cross. Phil. 2: 8.

Christ died for our sins according to the Scrip-
tures. 1 Cor. 15: 3.

Question 41.

Why was Christ also "buried" ?

Answer.

Thereby to prove that He was really
dead.

And Pilate marvelled if He were already dead : and
calling to him the centurion he asked him whether He
had been any while dead. And when he knew it of the
centurion, he gave the body to Joseph. Mark. 15: 44, 45.

Question 42.

Since then Christ died for us, why must we also
die ?

Answer.

Our death is not a satisfaction for our

THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

sins, but only an abolishing of sin, and a
passage into eternal life.

For to me to live Is Christ, and to die Is gain. I am
In a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and
to be with Christ ; which Is far better. Phil. 1: 21, 23.

Question 43.

What further benefit do we receive from the
sacrifice and death of Christ on the cross ?
Answer.

That, by virtue thereof, our old man is
crucified, dead, and buried with Him ; that so
the corrupt inclinations of the flesh may no
more reign in us ; but that we may ofTer our-
selves unto Him a sacrifice of thanksgiving.

Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with
Him. Rom. 6: 6.

Likewise reckon also yourselves to be dead indeed
unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Rom. 6:11.

Question 44.

Why is there added : "He descended into hell"?
Answer.

That, in my greatest temptations, I may
be assured, and wholly comfort myself in
this, that my Lord Jesus Christ, by His in-
expressible anguish, pains and terrors, which
He suffered in His soul upon the cross, and
before, hath delivered me from the anguish
and torments of hell.

O death, where is thy sting ? O grave, where is thy
24

THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

Victory ? — Thanks be to God, which giveth us the vic-
tory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Cox*. 15: 55. 57.

Question 45.

What does the resurrection of Christ profit us ?

Answer,

First: by His resurrection He hath
overcome death, that He might make us
partakers of that righteousness which He
hath purchased for us by His death. Sec-
ondly, we are also, by His power, raised up
to a new life. And, lastly, the resurrection
of Christ is a sure pledge of our blessed
resurrection.

But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become
the flrstfruits of them that slept. For since by man
came death, by man came also the resurrection of tlie
dead. 1 Cor. 15: 20, 21.

Question 46.
How dost thou understand these words: "He
ascended into heaven" ?

Answer.
That Christ, in sight of His disciples,
was taken up from the earth into heaven,
and that He continues there for our interest,
until He come again to judge the quick and
the dead.

So then, after the Lord had spoken unto them. He
was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand
of God. Marie 16: 19.

Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that
25

THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM,

is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us
hold fast our profession. Heb, 4: 14.

Question 47.

Is not Christ then with us even unto the end of
the world, as He has promised ?
Answer,

Christ is very man and very God ; with
respect to His human nature, He is no more
on earth ; but with respect to His Godhead,
Majesty, Grace and Spirit, He is at no time
from us.

Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the
world. Matt. 28:20.

For where two or three are gathered together in
my[name, there am I in the midst of them. Matt. 18: 20.

Question 48.

But if His human nature is not present where-
ever His Godhead is, are not then these two natures
in Christ separated from one another ?
Answer.

Not at all ; for since the Godhead is in-
comprehensible and omnipresent, it must
necessarily follow that the same is not limit-
ed with the human nature He assumed, and
vet remains personally united to it.

For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Grodhead
bodily. Ool. 2:9.

Question 49.

Of what advantage to us is Christ's ascension
into heaven ?

26

THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

Answer.

First, that He is our advocate in the
presence of His Father in heaven : secondly,
that we have our flesh in heaven as a sure
pledge, that He, as the head, will also take
up to Himself, us. His members : thirdly,
that He sends us His Spirit as an earnest,
by whose power we seek the things which
are above, where Christ sitteth at the right
hand of God, and not things on earth.

If any man sin, we have an advocate with the
Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 1 John 2: 1.

Question 50.

Why is it added : And sitteth at the right hand
of God ?

Answer.

Because Christ ascended into heaven
for this end, that He might there appear as
head of His Church, by whom the Father
governs all things.

We have such a high priest, who is set on the right
hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens.
Heb. 8: 1.

Question 51.
What profit is this glory of Christ, our head,
unto us ?

Answer.

First, that by His Holy Spirit He pour-
eth out heavenly gifts upon His members ;
and then, that by His power He defends and
preserves us against all enemies.
27

THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

They shall never perish, neither shall any man
pluck them out of my hand. John 10: 28.
Question 52.
What comfort is it to thee, that Christ shall
come again to judge the quick and the dead ?
Answer.
That in all my sorrows and persecu-
tions, with uplifted head, I look for the very
same person, who before offered Himself,
for my sake, to the tribunal of God, and hath
removed all curse from me, to come as judge
from heaven ; who shall cast all His and my
enemies into everlasting condemnation, but
shall translate me, with all His chosen ones
to Himself, into heavenly joys and glory.

Then we which ax-e alive and remain shall be
caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet
the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the
Lord. IThess. 4: 17.

OF GOD THE HOLY GHOST.
Question 53.

What dost thou then believe concerning the
Holy Ghost ?

Answer.

First, that He is true and co-eternal
God with the Father and the Son ; secondly,
that He is also given me to make me, by a
true faith, a partaker of Christ and all His
benefits, that He may comfort me, and abide
with me for ever.

2S

THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you
another Comforter, that He may abide with you for
ever; even the Spirit of truth. John 14: 16.
Question 54.
What believest thou concernmg the Holy Cath-
olic Church of Christ ?

Answer.
That the Son of God, from the begin-
ning to the end of the world, gathers de-
fends, and preserves to Himself, by His
Spirit, and Word, out of the whole human
race, a Church, chosen to everlasting life,
agreeing in true faith ; and that I am, and
for ever shall remain, a living member there-
of.

There is one body and one Spirit, even as ye are

called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith,

one baptism; one God and Father of us all, who is

above all, and through all, and in you all. Eph. 4: 4—6.

Question 55.

What do you understand by The communion

OF SAINTS ?

Answer.

First, that all and every one who be-
lieves, being members of Christ, are in com-
mon partakers with Him, and of all His
riches and gifts: Secondly, that every one
must know it to be his duty, readily and
cheerfully to employ his gifts for the advan-
tage and salvation of other members.

As every man hath received the gift, even so mill'
29

THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

Ister the same one to another, as good stewards of the
manifold grace of God. 1 Pet. 4: 10.
Question 56.
What believest thou concerning the forgive-
ness OF SINS ?

Answer.

That God, for the sake of Christ's satis-
faction, will no more remember my sins,
neither my corrupt nature, against which I
have to struggle all my life long; but will
graciously impute to me the righteousness
of Christ, that I may never be condemned
before the tribunal of God.

Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's
elect? It is God that justifleth. Who is he that con-
demneth? It is Christ that died. Rom. 8: 33, 34.
Question 57.
What comfort doth the resurrection of thl;
BODY afford thee ?

Answer,
That not only my soul, after this life,
shall be immediately taken up to Christ, its
head; but also, that this my body, being
raised by the power of Christ, shall be re-
united with my soul, and made like unto the
glorious body of Christ.

It is sown In corruption, it is raised In incorrup-

tion; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is

sown in weakness, it is raised in power. 1 Oor. 15: 42, 43.

Question 58.

What comfort takest thou from the Article of

LIFE EVERLASTING ?

80

THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

Answer.

That since I now feel in my heart the
beginning of eternal joy, after this life, I
shall inherit perfect salvation : which eye
hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it
entered into the heart of man to conceive;
and that, to praise God therein forever.

Whom having not seen, ye love: In whom, though
now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy
unspeakable, and full of glory. 1 Pet. 1: 8.
Question 59.
But what doth it profit thee now that thou be-
lievest all this ?

Answer.
That I am righteous in Christ before
God, and an heir of eternal life.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my
word, and belleveth on Him that sent me, hath ever-
lasting life. John 5: 24.

Question 60.

How art thou righteous before God ?

Answer.

Only by a true faith in Jesus Christ ;
so that though my conscience accuse me,
that I have grossly transgressed all the com-
mands of God, and kept none of them, and
am still inclined to all evil ; notwithstanding
God, without any merit of mine, but only of
mere grace, grants and imputes to me the
perfect satisfaction, righteousness, and holi-
31

THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

ness of Christ; even so, as if I never had
had, nor committed any sin ; yea, as if I had
fully accomplished all that obedience which
Christ hath accomplished for me ; inasmuch
as I embrace such benefit with a believing
heart.

There is therefore now no condemnation to them
which are In Christ Jesus, who walk not after the
flesh, but after the Spirit. Rom. 8: 1.
Question 61.
Why sayest thou, that thou art righteous by
faith only ?

Answer.
Not that I am acceptable, to God on ac-
count of the worthiness of my faith ; but be-
cause only the satisfaction, righteousness,
and holiness of Christ is my righteousness
before God, and that I cannot receive and
apply the same to my self in any other way,
than by faith only.

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that
not of yourselves; it is the gift of God; not of works,
lest any man should boast. Eph. 2: 8, 9.
Question 62.
But why cannot our good works be the whole
or part of our righteousness before God ?
Answer.
Because that the righteousness, which
can be approved of before the tribunal of
God, must be absolutely perfect, and in all
respects conformable to the divine law : and

THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

also that our best works in this life are all
imperfect and defiled with sin.

But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our
righteousnesses are as filthy rags. Isa. 64: 6.

Question 63.

What ! have not our good works merit which
uod will reward in this and the future life ?
Answer.

This reward is not of rnerit, but of
grace.

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that
not of yourselves ; it is the gift of (Jod. Eph. 2: 8.
Question 64.
But doth not this doctrine make men careless
and profane ?

Answer.

By no means : for it is impossible that
those who are implanted into Christ by a
true faith, should not bring forth fruits of
thankfulness.

Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for
his seed remaineth in him; and he cannot sin, because
he is born of God. lJohn3:9.

OF THE HOLY SACRAWENTS.
Question 65.

Since then we are made partakers of Christ,
and all His benefits, by faith only, whence doth
this faith proceed ?

3 33

THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

Answer.

From the Holy Ghost, who works faith
in our hearts by the preaching of the Gos-
pel, and confirms it by the use of the sac-
raments.

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing, by
the word of God. Rom. 10: 17.

Question 66.

What are the Sacraments ?
Answer.

The Sacraments are holy visible signs
and seals, appointed of God for this end,
that by the use thereof. He may the more
fully declare and seal to us the promise of
the Gospel : namely, that He grants us freely
the remission of sin and life eternal, for the
sake of that one sacrifice of Christ, ac-
complished on the cross.

Question 67.

Are then both word and sacrament ordained

and appointed for this end, that they may direct

our faith to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the

cross, as the only ground for our salvation ?

Answer.

Yes, indeed ; for the Holy Ghost teach-
es us in the gospel, and assures us by the
sacraments, that the whole of our salvation
depends upon that one sacrifice of Christ,
which He offered for us on the cross.

For this is my blood of the new testament, which
is shed for many for tlie remission of sins. Matt. 26: 28.
34

THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

Question 68.

How many sacraments has Christ instituted
in the new covenant or testament ?
Answer.

Two : Holy Baptism, and the Holy Sup-
per.

OF HOLY BAPTISW
Question 69.

How art thou reminded and assured by holy
baptism, that the one sacrifice upon the cross is of
real advantage to thee ?

Answer.

Thus, that Christ appointed this external
washing with water, adding thereunto that
promise, that I am as certainly w^ashed, by
His blood and Spirit, from all the pollution
of my soul that is, from all my sins, as I
am washed externally with water, by which
the filthiness of the body is commonly
washed away.

Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins,
calling on the name of the Lord. Acts 22: 16.

Question 70.

What is it to be washed with the blood and
spirit of Christ ?

Answer.

It is to receive of God remission of sins,
freely, for the sake of Christ's blood, which

35

THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

He shed for us in His sacrifice upon the
cross ; and also, to be renewed by the Holy
Ghost, and sanctified to be members of
Christ, that so we may more and more die
unto sin and lead holy and unblamable lives.

But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are
justified in tlie name of thie Lord Jesus, and by the
Spirit of our God. 1 Cor. 6: 11.

Question 71.

Where has Christ promised us, that He will as
certainly wash us by His blood and Spirit, as we are
washed with the water of baptism ?
Answer.

In the institution of baptism, which is
thus expressed : Go ye therefore, and teach
all nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost.

He that believeth and is baptized shall
be saved ; but he that beUeveth not, shall be
damned.

This promise is also repeated, where the
Scripture calls baptism, the washing of re-
generation, and the washing away of sins.

The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us
from all sin. 1 John 1 : 7.

Question 72.
Is then the external Baptism with water the
washing away of sin itself?
Answer.
Not at all : for the blood of Jesus Christ
36

THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

only, and the Holy Ghost, cleanse us from
all sin.

Question 73.
Why then doth the Holy Ghost eall Baptism the
washing away of regeneration, and the washing a-
way of sins ?

Answer.
God speaks thus not without great
cause, to wit : not only thereby to teach
us, that as the filth of the body is purged
away by water, so our sins are removed by
the blood and Spirit of Jesus Christ : but es-
pecially, that by this divine pledge and sign
tie may assure us, that we are spiritually
cleansed from our sins, as really as we are
externally washed with water.

Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our
sins in His own blood. Rev. 1 : 5.

Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name
of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins. Acts 2: 38.

Question 74.

Are infants also to be baptized ?

Answer.

Yes : for since they, as well as the adult,
are included in the Covenant and Church of
God ; and since redemption from sin by the
blood of Christ and the Holy Ghost, the
Author of faith, is promised to them no less
than to the adult; they must therefore, by
baptism, as a sign of the covenant, be also

37

THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

added into the Christian Church ; and be dis-
tinguished from the children of infidels, as
was done in the Old Covenant or Testament
by circumcision, instead of which baptism
was instituted in the New Covenant.

Suffer the little children come unto me, and forbid
them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Mark
10:14.

For the promise is unto you, and to your children,
and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord
our God shall call. Acts 2: 39.

OF THE LORD'S SUPPER.
Question 75.

How art thou admonished and assured in the
Lord's Supper, that thou art a partaker of that one
sacrifice of Christ, accomplished on the cross, and
of all His benefits ?

Answer.
Thus, that Christ has commanded
me, and all believers, to eat of this broken
bread, and to drink of this cup, in remem-
brance of Him ; adding these promises :
First, that His body was offered and broken
on the cross for me, and His blood shed for
me, as certainly as I see with my eyes the
bread of the Lord broken for me, and the
cup communicated to me : And further, that
He feeds and nourishes my soul to everlast-
ing life, with His crucified body and shed
38

THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

blood, as assuredly as I receive from the
hands of the minister, and taste with my
mouth the bread and cup of the Lord, as
certain signs of the body and blood of
Christ.

The cup of blessing which we bless. Is It not the
conimunion of the blood of Christ? The bread which
we break, is it not the conimunion of the body of
Christ? 1 Cor. 10:16.

Question 76.

What is it then to eat the crucified bedy and
drink the shed blood of Christ ?

Answer.

It is not only to embrace with a be-
lieving heart all the sufferings and death of
Christ, and thereby to obtain the pardon of
sin and life eternal ; but also, besides that,
to become more and more united to His sa-
cred body by the Holy Ghost, who dwells
both in Christ and in us ; so that we, al-
though Christ is in heaven, and we on earth,
are notwithstanding, flesh of His flesh, and
bone of His bone; and that we live, and are
governed for ever by one Spirit, as members
of the same body are by one soul.

He that eatethmy flesh, and drinketh my blood,
dwelleth in me, and I in him. John 6: 56.
Question 77
Where has Christ promised, that He will as
certainly feed and nourish believers with His body
39

THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

and blood, as they eat of this broken bread, and
drink of this cup ?

Answer.

In the institution of the Supper, which
is thus expressed : The Lord Jesus, in the
same night in which He was betrayed, took
bread, and when He had given thanks, He
brake it, and said, Take, eat : this is my body,
which is broken for you : this do in remem-
brance of me.

After the same manner also He took the
cup when He had supped, saying. This cup
is the New Testament in my blood; this do
ye as often as ye drink it, in remembrance
of me.

For as often as ye eat this bread, and
drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death
until He come.

This promise is repeated by the holy
Apostle Paul, where he says: The cup of
blessing which we bless, is it not the com-
munion of the blood of Christ? the bread
which we break, is it not the communion of
the body of Christ? for we, being many,
are one bread and one body, because we are
all partakers of that one bread.

Question 78

Do then the bread and wine become the very
body and blood of Christ ?
40

THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

Answer.

Not at all ; but, as the water in baptism
is not changed into the blood of Christ,
neither is the washing away of sin itself, be-
ing only the sign and confirmation thereof
appointed of God : so the bread of the Lord's
Supper is not changed into the very body of
Christ, though, agreeably to the nature and
properties of Sacraments, it is called the
body of Jesus Christ.

This Is that bread which came down from heaven:
not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he
that eateth of this bread shall live for ever. John 6: 58,

Question 79.

Why then doth Christ call the bread His body,
and the cup His blood, or the new covenant in His
blood : and Paul, the communion of the body and
blood of Christ ?

Answer.

Christ speaks thus not without great
reasons : namely, not only thereby to teach
us, that as bread and wine support this
temporal life, so His crucified body and shed
blood are the true meat and drink whereby
our souls are fed to eternal life ; but especial-
ly by these visible signs and pledges to as-
sure us, that we are as really partakers of His
true body and blood, by the operation of the
Holy Ghost, as we receive by the mouth of
our bodies these holy signs in remembrance

41

THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

of Him : and that all His sufferings and
obedience are as certainly ours, as if we had
in our own persons suffered and made satis-
faction for our sins to God.

For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink
Indeed. John 6: 55.

For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this
cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till He come. 1 Oor.
11:26.

Question 80.

What difference is there between the Lord's
Supper and the Popish Mass ?

Answer.

The Lord's Supper testifies to us, that
we have full pardon of all sin by the only
sacrifice of Jesus Christ, which He Himself
has once accomplished on the cross : and that
we, by the Holy Ghost, are ingrafted into
Christ, who according to His human nature,
is now not on earth but in heaven, at the
right hand of God, His Father, and will be
there worshiped by us. — But the Mass
teaches : that the living and the dead have
not the pardon of sins through the suffer-
ings of Christ, unless Christ is also daily of-
fered for them, by the priests ; and further,
that Christ is bodily under the form of bread
and wine, and therefore is to be worshiped
in them : so that the Mass at bottom is noth-
ing else than a denial of the one sacrifice
42

THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

and sufferings of Jesus Christ, and an ac-
cursed idolatry.

For by one offering He hath perfected for ever
them that are sanctified. Heb. 10: 14.

It is finished. John 19: 30.

Question 81.

For whom is the Lord's Supper instituted?
Answer,

For those who are truly sorrowful for
their sins, and yet trust that these are for-
given them for the sake of Christ ; and that
their remaining infirmities are covered by
His passion and death ; and who also earn-
estly desire to have their faith more and
more strengthened, and their lives more ho-
ly; but hypocrites, and such as turn not to
God with sincere hearts, eat and drink judg-
ment to themselves.

Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of
that bread, and drink of that cup. 1 Cor. 11: 28.

For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth
and drinketh damnation to himself, not discei'ning the
Lord's body. lOor. 11:29.

Question 82.

Are they also to be admitted to the Supper,
who, by confession and life, declare themselves in-
fidels and ungodly ?

Answer.

No : for by this the covenant of God
would be profaned, and His wrath kindkd
against the whole congregation ; therefore it

43

THE HEIDELBEKG CATECHISM.

is the duty of the Christian Church, accord-
ing to the appointment of Christ and His
Apostles, to exclude such persons by the
keys of the kingdom af heaven, until they
show amendment of life.

"Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who
shall stand In His holy place? He that hath clean
hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his
soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. Ps. 24: 3, 4.

Now W'e command you, brethren, in the name of
our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves
from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not
after the tradition which he received of us. 2Thess.3:6.

Question 83.

What are the keys of the kingdom of heaven ?
Answer.

The preaching of the holy gospel and
Christian discipline, or the excommunication
out of the Christian Church; by these two,
the kingdom of heaven is opened to believ-
ers, and shut against unbelievers.

I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of
heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth
shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt
loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Matt. 16: 19.
Question 84.
How is the kingdom of heaven opened and shut
by the preaching of the holy gospel ?
Answer.
Thus : when, according to the command
of Christ, it is declared and publicly testified
to all and every believer, that whenever they

44

THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

receive the promises of the gospel by a true
faith, all their sins are really forgiven them
of God, for the sake of Christ's merits : And
on the contrary, when it is declared and testi-
fied to all unbelievers, and such as do not sin-
cerely repent, that they stand exposed to the
wrath of God and eternal condemnation, so
long as they are unconverted : according to
which testimony of the gospel, God will
judge them, both in this and the life to come.

Receive ye the Holy Ghost- whosesoever sins ye
remit, they are remitted unto them; and whosesoever
sins ye retain, they are retained. John 20: 22, 28.
Question 85.
How is the kingdom of heaven shut aind opened
by Christian discipline ?

Answer.

Thus : when, according to the command
of Christ, those who, under the name of
Christians, maintain doctrines or practices
inconsistent therewith, will not, after having
been often brotherly admonished, renounce
their errors and wicked course of life, are
complained of to the Church ; or to those who
are thereunto appointed by the Church ; and
if they despise their admonition are, by them,
torbid the use of the sacraments ; whereby
they are excluded from the Christian Church,
and by God Himself froin the kingdom of
Christ; and when they promise and show

45

THE HEIDELBERG CATE-CHIS":?!.

real amendment are again received as mem-
bers of Christ and His Church.

Put away from among yourselves that wicked
person. 1 Cor. 5: 13.

TMIRD PART.

OF THANKFULNESS.
Question 86.

Since then we are delivered from our misery,
merely of grace through Christ, without any merit
of ours, why must we still do good works ?
Answer.

Because that Christ, having redeemed
and delivered us by His blood, also renews
us by His Holy Spirit, after His own image ;
that so we may testify, by the whole of our
conduct, our gratitude to God for His bless-
ings, and that He may be praised by us ; also,
that every one may be assured in himself of
his faith, by the fruits thereof ; and that, by
our godly conversation, others may be
gained to Christ.

Let your light so shine before men, that they may
see your good works, and glorify your Father which is
in heaven. Matt. 5: 16.

Question 87.

Cannot they then he saved, who, continuing in
their wicked and impenitent lives, are not convert-
ed to God ?

46

THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

Answer.

By no means : for the Holy Scripture
declares, that no unchaste person, idolater,
adulterer, thief, coveteous man, drunkard,
slanderer, robber, or any such like, shall
inherit the kingdom of God.

For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor un-
clean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater,
hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of
God. Eph. 5:5.

Question 88.
In how many parts doth true conversion of
man consist ?

Answer.
In two parts ; in the mortification of the
old, and in the quickening of the new man.

Question 89.

What is the mortification of the old man?

Answer.

It is a sincere sorrow of heart, that we
have provoked God by our sins ; and more
and more to hate and flee from them.

Against Thee, Thee only, have I sinned, and done
this evil in Thy sight; that Thou mightest be justified
when Thou speakest, and be clear when Thou judgest.
Ps. 51:4.

Question 90.
What is the quickening of the new man ?
Answer.
It is a sincere joy of heart in God,
through Christ; and with love and delight

47

THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

to live according to the will of God in all
good works.

For I delight in the law of God after the Inward
man. Rom. 7 : 22.

Question 91.

What are good works ?

Answer.

Only those which proceed from a true
faith, are performed according to the law of
God, and to His glory; and not such as are
founded in our imaginations, or the insti-
tutions of men.

"Without faith it is impossible to please Him. Heb.
11:6.

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.
Question 92.

What is the law of God ?
Answer.

God spake all these words. Exod. xx.
and Deut. v : 6 — 22.

THE FIRST COMMANDMENT.

I am the Lord thy God, ivhich hath
brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out
of the house of bondage: Thou shaft have
no other gods before me.

THE SECOND COMMANDMENT.

Thou shalt not make unto thyself any
graven image, nor the likeness of anything
48

THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

that is in heaven above, or in the earth be-
neath, or in the water under the earth. Thou
shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor
serve them; for I the Lord thy God am a
jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the
fathers upon the children, unto the third and
fourth generation of them that hate me, and
shozving mercy upon thousands of them that
love me and keep my commandments.

THE THIRD COMMANDMENT.

Thou shalt not take the name of the
Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not
hold him guiltless, that takefh His name in
vain.

THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT.

Remember the Sabbath day to keep it
holy; six days shalt thou labor and do all
thy work, but the seventh day is the Sab-
bath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt
do no manner of work, thou, nor thy son,
nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy
maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor the stranger
that is within thy gates. For in six days
the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea,
and all that in them is, and rested the sev-
enth day: wherefore the Lord blessed the
Sabbath day, and hallozved it.

THE FIFTH COMMANDMENT.

Honor thy father and thy mother, that
4 49

THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

thy days may be long in the land, li'hich the
Lord thy God giveth thee.

THE SIXTH COMMANDMENT.

Thou shalt not kill.

THE SEVENTH COMMANDMENT.

Thou shalt not commit adultery.

THE EIGHTH COMMANDMENT.

Thou shalt not steal.

THE NINTH COMMANDMENT.

Thoii shalt not hear false witness
against thy neighbor.

THE TENTH COMMANDMENT.

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's
house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's
wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-
servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any
thing that is thy neighbor's.
Question 93.
How are the ten commandments divided ?

Answer.
Into two tables : the first of which teach-
es us how we must behave towards God ;
the second, what duties we owe to our neigh-
bor.

Jesus said unto him. Thou shalt love the Lord thy
God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with
all thy mind. This Is the first and great command-
ment. Matt. 22: 87, 88.

50

THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM,

Question 94.

What doth God enjoin in the first command ?
Answer.

That I, as sincerely as I desire the sal-
vation of my own soul, avoid and flee from
all idolatry, sorcery, soothsaying, supersti-
tion, invocation of saints, or any other creat-
ures, and learn rightly to know the only true
God, trust in Him alone, with humility and
patience, submit to Him, expect all good
things from Him only : love, fear, and glori-
fy Him with my whole heart : so that I re-
nounce and forsake all creatures, rather than
commit even the least thing contrary to His
will.

Little children, keep yourselves from idols. 1 John
5:21.

Thou Shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him
only Shalt thou serve. Matt. 4: 10.

Question 95.

What is idolatry ?

Answer.

Idolatry is instead of, or besides that
one true God, who has manifested Himself
in His Word, to contrive, or have any other
object in which men place their trust.

Ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and
true God. IThess. 1:9.

Question 96.

What does God require in the second command ?
51

THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

Answer.

That we in no wise represent God by
images, nor worship Him in any other way
than He has commanded in His Word.

The heathen — professing themselves to be wise,
they became fools, and changed the glory of the in-
corruptible God into an image made like to corrupt-
ible man, and to bix'ds, and fourfooted beasts, and creep-
ing things. Rom. 1 : 22, 23.

Question 97.

Are images then not at all to be made ?
Answer.

God neither can, nor may be represent-
ed by any means : but as to creatures, though
they may be represented, yet God forbids
us to make or have any resemblance of them,
either in order to worship them, or to serve
God by them.

Confounded be all they that serve graven images,
that boast themselves of idols: worship Him, all ye
gods. Ps. 97:7.

Question 98.

But may not images be tolerated in the church-
es, as books to the laity ?

Answer.

No ; for we must not pretend to be wiser
than God, who will have His people taught
not by dumb images, but by the lively
preaching of His word.

Search the Scriptures ; for In them ye think ye have

eternal life; and they are they which testify of me.

John 5: 39.

R2

THE HEIUELBEKG CATECHISM.

Question 99.

What is required in the third command ?
Answer.

That we, not only by cursing or per-
jury, but also by rash swearing, must not
profane or abuse the name of God ; nor by
silence or connivance be partakers of these
horrible sins in others; but briefly, that we
use the holy name of God no otherwise than
with fear and reverence; so that He may
be rightly confessed and worshiped by us,
and be glorified in all our words and works.

But I say unto you, Swear not at all: neither by
heaven ; for it is God's throne : nor by the earth ; for it
is His footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the
city of the great king. Neither shalt thou swear by
thy head, becavise thou canst not make one hair white
or black. Matt. 5: 34—36.

Question 100.

Is then the profaning of God's name, by swear-
ing and cursing, so heinous a sin, that His wrath
is kindled against those who do not endeavor, as
much as in them lies, to prevent and forbid such
cursing and swearing ?

Answer.
It undoubtedly is : for there is no sin
greater, or more provoking to God, than the
profaning of His name ; and therefore He
has commanded this sin to be punished with
death.

When ye pray, say, Our Father, who art in
heaven, Hallowed be Thy name. Luke 11: 2.
53

THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

Question 101.

May we then swear religiously by the name of

God?

Answer.

Yes: either when the magistrates de-
mand it of the subjects, or when necessity
requires us thereby, to confirm fideUty and
truth to the glory of God, and the safety of
our neighbor; for such an oath is founded
on God's Word, and therefore was justly
used by the saints, both in the Old and New
Testament.

For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath
for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. Heb.
6: 16.

Question 102.
May we also swear by saints, or any other
creatures ?

Answer.
No; for a lawful oath is calling upon
God, as the only one who knows the heart,
that He will bear witness to the truth, and
punish me if I swear falsely ; which honor is
due to no creature.

Thou Shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him
only Shalt thou serve. Matt. 4:10.
Question 103.
What doth God require in the fourth command ?
Answer.
First, that the ministry of the gospel
and the schools be maintained; and that I,
54

THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

especially on the Sabbath, that is, on the day
of rest, diligently frequent the Church of
God, to hear His word, to use the sacra-
ments, publicly to call upon the Lord, and
contribute. to the relief of the poor, as be-
comes a Christian. Secondly, that all the
days of my life I cease from evil works, and
yield myself to the Lord to work by His
Holy Spirit in me, and thus begin in this
life the eternal Sabbath.

Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together,
as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another:
and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
Heb. 10: 2-5.

Upon the first day of the week let every one of you
lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him. 1 Oor.
16:2.

Question 104.

What doth God require in the fifth command ?
Answer.

That I show all honor, love and fidelity,
to my father and mother, and all in authori-
ty over me, and submit myself to their good
instruction and correction with due obedi-
ence ; and also patiently bear with their
weaknesses and infirmities, since it pleases
God to govern us by their hand.

Honor thy father and thy mother ; which is the first
commandment with promise ; that it may be well with
thee, and thou mayest live long on earth. Eph. 6: 2, 3.

Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this
is right. Eph. 6: 1.

55

THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and
forsake not the law of thy mother. Prov. 1 : 8.
Question 105.
What does God require in the sixth command ?
Answer.
That neither in thoughts, nor in words,
nor gestures, much less in deeds, I dishonor,
hate, wound, or kill my neighbor, by myself
or by another : but that I lay aside all desire
of revenge : also, that I hurt not myself, or
wilfully expose myself to any danger.
Wherefore also the magistrate is armed with
the sword, to prevent murder.

Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and
clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with
all malice. Eph. 4: 31.

Question 106.
But this command seems only to speak of mur-
der?

Answer.

In forbidding murder, God teaches us,
that He abhors the causes thereof; such as
envy, hatred, anger, and desire of revenge;
and that He accounts all these as murder.

Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather
give place unto wrath: for it is written. Vengeance
Is mine ; I will repay, saith the Lord. Rom. 12: 19.

Whosoever hateth his brother, is a murderer: and
ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in
him. lJohn3:15.

Question 107.
But is it not enough that we do not kill any
man in the manner above mentioned ?
56

THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

Answer.

No ; for when God forbids envy, hatred,
and anger, He commands us to love our
neighbor as ourselves ; to show patience,
peace, meekness, mercy, and all kindness to-
wards him ; to prevent his hurt as much as
in us lies ; and that we do good even unto
our enemies.

Ijove your enemies, bless them that curse you, do
good to them that hate you, and pray for them that
despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may
be the children of your Father which is in heaven.
Matt. 5: 44, 45.

If thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give
him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of Are
on his head. Rom. 12: 20.

Question 108.

What doth the seventh command teach us ?
Answer.

That all uncleanness is accursed of God,
and that, therefore, we must with all our
hearts, detest the same, and live chastely and
temperately, whether in holy wedlock, or in
single life.

But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetous-
ness, let it not once be named among you, asbecometh
saints. Eph. 5:3.

Question 109.
Doth God in this command forhid only adultery
and such like gross sins ?

Answer.

Since both our body and soul are tem-

57

THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

pies of the Holy Ghost, He commands us to
preserve them pure and holy ; therefore He
forbids all unchaste actions, gestures, words
thoughts, desires, and whatever can entice
thereto.

What ! know ye not that your body is the temple
of the Holy Ghost which is in you ? 1 Cor. 6: 19.

Let no corrupt conimunication proceed out of
your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edi-
fying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
Eph. 4: 29.

Question 110.
What doth God fordid in the eighth command ?
Answer.

God forbids not only those thefts and
robberies which are punishable by the
magistrate ; but He comprehends under the
name of theft, all wicked tricks and devices,
whereby we design to appropriate to our-
selves the goods which belong to our neigh-
bor : whether it be by force, or under the
appearance of right : as by unjust weights,
ells, measures, fraudulent merchandise, false
coins, usury or by any other way forbidden
by God ; as also all covetousness, and all
waste and abuse of His gifts.

Ye shall do no unrighteousness In judgment, in
mete-yard, In weight, or in measure. Just balances,
just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin, shall ye
have. Lev. 19: 35, 36.

Question 111. •
But what doth God require in this command?
58

THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

Answer.

That I promote the advantage of my
neighbor in every instance I can or may ; and
deal with him as I desire to be
dealt with by others ; further also, that I
faithfully labor, so that I may be able to re-
lieve the needy.

Let him that stole, steal no more: but rather let
him labor, working with his hands the thing which Is
good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
Eph. 4:28.

Question 112.
What is required in the ninth command ?
Answer.

That I bear false witness against no
man, nor falsify any man's words ; that I be
no backbiter, or slanderer ; that I do not
judge, or join in condemning any man rash-
ly or unheard; but that I avoid all sorts of
lies and deceit, as the proper works of the
devil, unless I would bring down upon me
the heavy wrath of God; likewise, that in
judgment and all other dealings, I love the
truth, speak it uprightly, and confess it ; also
that I defend and promote as much as I am
able, the honor and good character of my
neighbor.

He that speaketh truth, sheweth forth righteous-
ness: but a false witness, deceit. Prov. 12: 17.

Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man
truth with his neighbor. Eph. 4:25.
59

THE HEIDELBEKG CATECHIS.M.

Question 113.

What doth the tenth command require of us ?
Answer.

That even the smallest inclination or
thought, contrary to any of God's com-
mands, never rise in our hearts : but that at
all times we hate all sin with our whole
hearts, and delight in all righteousness.

Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had
not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt
not covet. Rom. 7: 7.

Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which
is in heaven is perfect. Matt. 5: 48.

Question 114.
But can those who are converted to God per-
fectly keep these commandments ?
Answer.

No ; but even the holiest men, while in
this life, have only small beginnings of this
obedience, yet so, that with a sincere reso-
lution they begin to live, not only according
to some, but all the commands of God.

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves,
and the truth is not in us. 1 John 1 : 8.

Question 115.

Why then will God have the ten commands so
strictly preached, since no man in this life can keep
them?

Answer.

First, that all our life-time, we may
learn more and more to know our sinful na-
60

THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

lure, and thus become the more earnest in
seeking the remission of sin and righteous-
ness in Christ : likewise, that we constantly
endeavour, and pray to God for the grace of
the Holy Spirit, that we may become more
and more conformable to the image of God,
until we arrive at the perfection proposed
to us, in a life to come.

By the law Is the knowledge of sin. Rom. 3: 20.

Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth
not yet appear, what we shall be: but we know that,
when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we
shall see Him. as He is. 1 John 3: 2.

Question 116.
Why is prayer necessary for Christians ?
Answer.

Because it is that chief part of thankful-
ness which God requires of us ; and also, be-
cause God will give His grace and Holy
Spirit to those only who with sincere desires
continually ask them of Him, and are thank-
ful for them.

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall
find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for every
one that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh,
flndeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened.
Matt. 7: 7.

Question 117.

What are the requisites of that prayer, which
is acceptable to God, and which He will hear ?
Answer.

First, that we from the heart, pray to
61

THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

the one true God only, who hath manifested
Himself in His Word, for all things He hath
commanded us to ask of Him ; Secondly,
that we rightly and thoroughly know our
need and misery, that so we may deeply
humble ourselves in the presence of His Di-
vine Majesty; Thirdly, that we be fully per-
suaded, that He, notwithstanding we are
unworthy of it, will, for the sake of Christ
our Lord, certainly hear our prayer, as He
hath promised us in His Word.

And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift
so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his
breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. Luke
18: 13.

Question 118.

What hath God commanded us to ask of Him ?

Answer.

All things necessary for soul and body,
which Christ our Lord has comprised in that
prayer He Himself has taught us.
Question 119.
What are the words of that Prayer ?
Answer.
Otir Father zvho art in heaven,
Hallowed he Thy name. Thy kingdom
come. Thy zvill be done on earth, as it is
in heaven. Give ns this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our
debtors. And lead us not into temptation.

THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the
kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for
ever. Amen.

Question 120.
Why hath Christ commanded us to address
God thus : Our Father ?

Answer.

That immediately, in the very begin-
ning of our prayer, He might excite in us a
child-like reverence for, and confidence in
God, which are the foundation of our
prayer; namely, that God is become our
Father in Christ, and will much less deny
us what we ask of Him in true faith, than
our parents will refuse us earthly things.

Because ye are sons, Grod hath sent forth the Spirit
of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
Gal. 4: 6.

Question 121.

Why is there added : Who art in Heaven ?

Answer.

Lest we should form any earthly con-
ception of God's heavenly majesty, and that
we may expect frjom His almighty power
all things necessary for soul and body.

But our Gtod is in the heavens ; He hath done what-
soever He hath pleased. Ps. 115: 3.

Question 122.

What is the first petition ?
63

THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

Answer.

Hallowed he Thy name. That is :
Grant us first, rightly to know Thee, and to
sanctify, glorify and praise Thee in all Thy
works, in which Thy power, wisdom, good-
ness, justice, mercy and truth, are clearly
displayed ; and further also, that we may so
order and direct our whole lives, our
thoughts, words and actions, as that Thy
name may never be blasphemed, but rather
honored and praised, on our account.

O Lord, how manifold are Thy works! in wisdom
hast Thou made them all. Ps. 104: 24.

Question 123.

What is the second petition ?
Answer.

Thy kingdom come. That is : Rule us
so by Thy Word and Spirit, that we may
submit ourselves more and more to Thee;
preserve and increase Thy Church, destroy
the works of the devil, and all violence
which would exalt itself against Thee; and
also, all wicked counsels devised against
Thy holy Word, until the full perfection of
Thy kingdom takes place, wherein Thou
shalt be all in all.

The kingdoms of this world are become the king-
doms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign
for ever and ever. Rev. 11 : 15.

Question 124.
What is the third petition ?
64

THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

Answer.

Thy zvill be done on earth, as it is in
heaven. That is : Grant that we and all men
may renounce our own will, and without
murmuring obey Thy will, which is only
good ; that so every one may attend to, and
perform the duties of his station and calling,
as willingly and faithfully as the angels do
in heaven.

Teach me, O Lord, the way of Thy statutes; and I
shall keep it unto the end. Ps. 119: 33.
Question 125.
What is the fourth petition ?
Answer.

Give us this day our daily bread. That
is : Be pleased to provide us with all things
necessary for the body, that we may thereby
acknowledge Thee to be the only fountain
of all good and that neither our care nor
industry, nor even Thy gifts, can profit us
without Thy blessing, and therefore, that we
may withdraw our trust from all creatures,
and place it alone in Thee.

The eyes of all wait upon Thee ; and Thou givest
them their meat in due season. Thou openest Thine
hand, and satisflest the desire of every living thing.
Ps. 145: 15, 16.

Question 126.
What is the fifth petition ?
Answer.
And forgive us our debts, as zve forgive
5 oo

THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

our debtors. That is: Be pleased for the
sake of Christ's blood, not to impute to us,
poor sinners, our transgressions, nor that
depravity which always cleaves to us ; even
as we feel this evidence of Thy grace in us,
that it is our firm resolution from the heart
to forgive our neighbor.

So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto
you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his
brother their trespasses. Matt. 18: 35.

Question 127.

What is the sixth petition ?
Answer.

And lead us not into temptation, but
deliver ns from evil. That is : Since we are
so weak in ourselves, that we cannot stand a
moment; and besides this, since our mortal
enemies, which we have renounced, the devil,
the world, and our own flesh, cease not to
assault us : do Thou, therefore, preserve and
strengthen us by the power of Thy Holy
Spirit, that we may not be overcome in this
spiritual warfare; but constantly and stren-
uously may resist our foes, until at last we
obtain a complete victory.

Watch and pray, that ye enter not into tempta-
tion: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is w£#»k.
Matt. 26: 41.

My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not*
Prov. 1:10.

66

THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM,

Question 128.

How do you conclude your prayer ?-
Answer.

For Thine is the kingdom, the power,
and the glory, for ever. That is : All this
we ask of Thee, because Thou, being- King
and Almighty, art willing and able to give
us all good : and all this we pray for, that
thereby, not we, but Thy holy name, may be
glorified for ever.

Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto Thy
name, give glory, for Thy mercy, and for Thy truth's
sake. Ps. 115: 1.

Question 129.

What does the word Amen signify ?

Answer.

Amen signifies : It shall truly and cer-
tainly be; for my prayer is more assuredly
heard of God, than I feel in my heart that I
desire these things of Him.

The prophet Jeremiah said, Amen: the Lord do so:
the Lord perform thy words which thou hast prophe-
sied. Jer. 28:6.

For all the promises of God in Him are yea, and in
Him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. 2 Cor. 1: 20.

«T

BOOK II.

the:

SMORTER

Heidelberg Catechism.

Ninth Edition.

Copyrighted 1881.

PREFACE.

THE Shorter Heidelberg Catechism was first
issued on January 19th, 1881, since which
time it has passed through eight editions. In
this issue the Scripture references have been
continued from the American Revision of A. D.
1 901.

As is well known, the full text of the Cate-
chism was originally published in 1563, under the
direction of the Pious Elector, Frederic HI, of
the Palatinate on the Rhine; and was prepared by
Zachary Ursinus and Casper Olevianus, Pro-
fessors in Heidelberg University. From that
time to the present it has been prized as one of
the most valuable symbols of Protestant faith,
and honored for its evangelical and devotional
spirit ; but on account of the extreme length of its
answers (a number containing over a hundred
words each), the Text is here condensed, so that
the learner may better understand the meaning,
and more easily commit the answers to memory.

This is the Heidelberg Catechism, unchanged
as to arrangement and meaning, but for greater
convenience reduced as to the number of its
words. D. V. H.

Tiffin, Ohio, April ist, iQOg,

71

The Shorter Heidelberg Catechism.

1st Sunday.

Question 1. What is your only comfort in life
and death ?

Anszver. — That I belong to Christ,
whose precious blood has fully satisfied for
my sins and delivered me from the power
of the devil : who also preserves me, and by
my heavenly Father's will, causes all things
to work together for my' salvation ; and by
His Holy Spirit assures me of eternal life,
and makes me truly willing to live unto Him.

1 Oor. 6: 19, 20. Ye are not your own; for ye were
bought with a price: glorify God therefore in your
body. —John 10: 28. I give unto them eternal life; and
they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them
out of my hand. — Rom. 8: 28. And we know that to
them that love God all things work together for good.
— 1 Pet. 4:2.

2. What must you know that you may have
this comfort in life and death ?

Three things : First. How great my
sins and miseries are. Second. How I
may be delivered from all my sins and miser-
ies. Third. How I am to be thankful to
God for such deliverance.

Rom. 7:24. Wretched man that lam! who shall
deliver me out of the body of this death?— Matt. 11:
28. Oome unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy
laden, and I will give you rest. — Ps. 116: 12. What shall
I render unto Jehovah for all His benefits toward me ?
73

THE SHORTER HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

The First Part.

OF THE MISERY OF MAN.
2nd Sunday.

3. Whence do you learn of your misery ?

Out of the law of God.

Rom. 3: 20. Through the law cometh the knowledge
of sin. — Rom. 7: 7. Ex. 20: 1—17. Rom. 4: 15.

4. What does the law of God require of us ?

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with

all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with

all thy strength, and with all thy mind ; and

thy neighbor as thyself.

Matt. 22: 37. Rom. 13: 10. Love therefore Is the ful-
filment of the law. — Matt. 7: 12. AH things ye would
that men should do unto you, do ye also unto them:
for this is the law and the prophets.

5. Can you keep all this perfectly ?

No; for I am prone by nature to hate
God and my neighbor.

1 John 1:8. If we say that we have no sin, we de-
ceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. — Rom. 8: 7.
The mind of the flesh is enmity against God ; for it is
not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can
be.— Titus 3: 8.

., , 3rd Sunday^

6. Did God then create man so wicked and
perverse ?

No; God created man good, and after
His own image, holy and righteous ; that he
might know, and love, and praise his Crea-
tor, and live with Him in bliss forever.

Gen. 1 : 21. And God created man in His own image.
In the image of God created He him ; male and female
74

THE SHORTER HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

created He them. — Eph. 4:24. And put on the new
man, which after God hath been created in righteous-
ness, and holiness of truth. — Col. 3: 10.

7. Whence then comes this depraved nature
of men ?

From the sin of our first parents, Adam
and Eve in Paradise; hence our nature has
become so corrupt, that we are all conceived
and born in sin.

Rom. 5: 12. As through one man sin entered Into
the world, and death through sin; and so death parsed
unto all men, for that all sinned. — John 3: 6. That
which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is
born of the spirit is spirit. — Ps. 51 : 5. Ps. 53: 1. Rom.
3:9—12. Job 14: 4. Gen. 8: 21. Eph. 2: 3.

8. Are we so corrupt that we are not capable
of doing good, and inclined to all evil ?

Yes; unless we are born again by the

Spirit of God.

Rom. 7: 18. I know that in me, that is, in my flesh,
dwelleth no good thing. — John 3: 3. Jesus said . . .
Verily, I say unto thee. Except, one be born anew, he
cannot see the kingdom of God.

4th Sunday.

9. Is it not unjust for God to require of man
in His law that which he cannot do ?

No : for God made man able to keep
His law ; but by the temptation of the devil,
and his own wilful sin, he has robbed him-
self and his children of this gift.

Gal. 3: 10. Cursed is every one who continueth not
In all things that are written in the book of the law,
to do them.— Rom. 3: 5.— Ecc. 7: 29. God made man up-
right; but they have sought out many inventions.—
Rom. 6: 19. Through the one man's disobedience the
many were made sinners.

75

THE SHORTER HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

10. Will God allow such sin to go unpunished ?

By no means, but He is terribly dis-
pleased with our original and actual sins, and
will punish them in time and in eternity.

Matt. 25: 46. And these shall go away into eternal
punishment. — Heb. 9:27. It it appointed unto men
once to die, and after this conieth judgment. Eph.2: 3.
Ps.7:ll.

11. Is not God then also merciful?

God is indeed merciful, but His justice
requires that sin, which is committed against
His most high majesty, must be punished
eternally both in body and soul.

Ps. 103:8. Jehovah is merciful and gracious, slow
to anger, and abundant in loving kindness. — Ps. 51: 4.
Against Thee, Thee only, have I sinned, and done that
which is evil in Thy sight. — Hab. 1 : 13. Thou that art
of purer eyes than to behold evil, and that canst not
look on perverseness. — Ps. 89: 14.

&

The Second Fart.

OF man's deliverance.
Sth Sunday.

12. How may we escape this punishment and
come again into God's favor ?

God will have His justice satisfied ; and
therefore we must make this full satisfaction,
either by ourselves or by another.

Deut. 27: 26. Cursed be he that conflrmeth not the
words of this law to do them. — Ez. 18: 4. The soul that
sinneth, it shall die. — 2 Cor. 5: 21. Him who knew no
sin He made to be sin on our behalf; that we might
become the righteousness of God in Him.

13. But can we ourselves make this satisfac-
tion?

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tHE SHORtER HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

By no means ; but, on the contrary, we
daily increase our debt.

Job 9: 2, 3. But how can man be just with God ? If
he be pleased to contend with Hlni, he cannot answer
Him one of a thousand. — Matt. 6: 12. Forgive us our
debts, as we forgive our debtors.

14. Is any other mere creature able to satisfy
for us ?

None; for God will not punish any
other creature for man's sin; nor could any
mere creature sustain the burden of God's
wrath against sin, so as to deliver others
from it.

Gen. 2: 17. In the day that thou eatest thereof
thou Shalt surely die. — Ps. 49: 7. None of them can by
any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ran-
som for him. For the redemption of their life is costly.

15. What kind of a Mediator and Deliverer
then must we seek for ?

For one who is a true and righteous
man, yet more powerful than all creatures ;
that is, one who is ver^' God.

Heb. 2: 14. Since the children are sharers In flesh
and blood, He also in lil^e manner partook of the same.
— Heb. 7:2i5. For such a high priest became us, holy,
guileless, undeflled, separated from sinners. — Hosea
1:7.

6th Sunday.

16. Why must He be a real and righteous
man?

Because the justice of God requires
that the same human nature which has
sinned, should make satisfaction for sin, and
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Txi£ tiiORTER HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

one, who is himself a sinner, cannot satisfy
for another.

Ex. 32: 33. Whosoever hath sinned against me, him
Willi blot out of my book. — Heb. 7: 20—27. For such
a high priest became us, holy, guileless, undefiled, sep-
arated from sinners, and made higher than the
heavens; who needeth not daily, like those high
priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for his own sins, and
then for the sins of the people.

17. Why must He also be very God?

That, by the power of His Godhead, He
might sustain in His human nature the bur-
den of God's wrath ; and also obtain for,
and restore to us, righteousness and life.

2 Cor. 13:4. For He was crucified through weak-
ness, yet He liveth through the power of God. — Isa.
53:4. 1 John 4: 9. Herein was the love of God mani-
fested in us, that God hath sent His only begotten
Son into the world that we might live tlirough Him.

18. Who is such a Mediator, in one person
both God and man?

Our Lord Jesus Christ, who is given to
us as our perfect deliverance and righteous-
ness.

1 Tim. 2: 5. For thei'e is one God, one mediator also
between God and men. Himself man, Christ Jesus. —
John 1: 1, 14. In the beginning was the Word, and the
Word was with Ciod, and the Word was God. And the
Word became flesh and dwelt among us.

19. Where do you learn this ?

In the Holy Gospel which God Him-
self first revealed in Paradise, then publislied
by the patriarchs and prophets, set forth
also in the offerings and ceremonies of the
law, and finally fulfilled by His own be-
loved Son.

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THE SHORTER HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

Qen. 3: 15. I will put enmity between thee and the
woman, and between thy seed and her seed: He shall
bruise tliy head, and thou shalt bruise His heel.— Acts
10: 43. To Him bear all the prophets witness, that
through His name everyone that believeth on Him
shall receive remission of sins. — Col. 2: 17c Which are
a shadow of the things to come: but the body is
Christ's. — John 1:29. Behold the Lamb of God, that
taketh away the sin of the world.

yth Sunday.

20. Are all men, then, as they perished in
Adam, saved by Christ ?

No; only those who are ingrafted into
Him, and receive all His benefits by a true
faith.

Matt. 7: 13, 14. Wide is the gate and broad Is the
way that leadeth to destruction, and many are they
that enter in thereby. For narrow is the gate, and
straitened the way that leadeth unto life, and few
are they that find it. — John 3:16. For God so loved
the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, but
have eternal life. — Matt. 7: 21. 2 Cor. 5: 17. John3:18.
John 1:12. Rom. 11:20.

21. What is true faith ?

It is a certain knowledge whereby I
hold as truth all that God has revealed to us
in His word ; and also an assured confidence,
which the Holy Spirit works by the Gospel
in my heart, that forgiveness of sin and sal-
vation, are freely given to me by God, only
for the sake of Christ's merit.

Heb. 11 : 1. Now faith Is assurance of things hoped
for, a conviction of things not seen. — Rom. 10: 17.—
So belief cometh of hearing, and hearing by the word
of Christ. — Eph. 2: 8, 9. By grace have ye been saved
through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift
of OJod; not of works, that no man should glory.— Luke
8; 13. Ex)m. 4:20. Eph. 1:7.
79

THE SHORTER HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

22. What then must a Christian believe ?

All things promised us in the Gospel,
which the articles of our undoubted
Christian faith briefly teach us.

John 20: 31. But these are written that ye may be-
lieve that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of Gtod. — Matt.
28: 19. Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all
nations, baptizing them Into the name of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. — John 3: 36. He
that belleveth on the Son hath eternal life.

23. What are these articles ?

i. I believe in God the Father Al-
mighty, Maker of heaven and earth.

ii. And in Jesus Christ, His only be-
gotten Son, our Lord :

iii. Who was conceived by the Holy
Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary;

iv. Suffered under Pontius Pilate;
was crucified, dead and buried : He descend-
ed into hell : [or "Hades" : — Directory of worship ]

V. The third day He rose from the
dead :

vi. He ascended into heaven, and sit-
teth at the right hand of God the Father
Almighty :

vii. From thence He shall come to
judge the quick and the dead.

viii. I believe in the Holy Ghost.

ix. I believe in the Holy Catholic
Church, the communion of saints.

X. The forgiveness of sins :

xi. The resurrection of the body :

xii. And the life everlasting. Amen.
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THE SHORTER HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

8th Sunday.

24. How are these articles divided ?

Into three parts : the first treats of God
the Father, and our creation ; the second of
God the Son, and our redemption ; the third
of God the Holy Ghost, and our sanctifica-
tion.

25. Since there is but one Divine Being, why
do you speak of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost ?

Because God has so revealed Himself
in His word, that these three distinct persons
are the one, true, and eternal God.

Deut. 6: 4. Hear, O Israel; Jehovah our God is one
Jehovah. — Num. 6: 24—26. Isa. 6: 3. Holy! Holy! Holy!
Matt. 18: 19, Baptizing them into the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. — 2 Cor.
13: 14. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the
love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit,
he with you all. — Isa. 48: 16.

OF GOD THE FATHER.

gth Sunday.

26. What do you believe concerning God the
Father ?

That the eternal Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, who of nothing made heaven
and earth, and who still upholds them by
His providence, is, through Chiist, my
Father, and that He will provide for all my
wants of body and soul.

Gen. 1:1. In the beginning (rod created the heavens
and the earth. — Heb. 11:3. Eph. 1:11. Who worketh
all things after the counsel of His will. — John 20: 17.
I ascend unto my Father and your Father, and my

6 81

THE SHORTER HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

God and your Grod. — Rom. 8: 28. All things work to-
gether for good to them that love God. — Ps. 103: 13.

loth Sunday.

27. What is the Providence of God ?

The almighty and everywhere present
powier of God, whereby, as with His hand,
He upholds and governs heaven, earth,
and all creatures; so that the fruits
of the ground, and all the events of our
lives come, not by chance, but by His
Fatherly hand.

Acts 17: 28. For In Him we live, and move, and
have our being. — Heb. 1: 3. Upholding all things by
the word of His power. — Acts 14: 17. Matt. 10: 29, 30.
Not one sparrow shall fall on the ground without your
Father, but the very hairs of your head are all num-
bered.

28. How should the knowledge of the creation
and providence of God affect us ?

It should make us patient in adversity,
thankful in prosperity, and cause us to place
our firm trust in our faithful God and
Father, that nothing shall ever separate us
from His love; since, without His will, we
cannot so much as move.

Job 1:21. Jehovah gave and Jehovah hath taken
away; blessed be the name of Jehovah. — 1 Thess. 5: 18.
In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God
in Christ Jesus to you-ward. — Rom. 8: as, 39. For I am
persuaded that nothing shall be able to separate us
from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
— Ps. 103:1. Ps. 100; 4,5.

THE SHORTER HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

OF GOD THE SON.
iith Sunday.

29. Why is the Son of God called Jesus, that
is Saviour?

Because He saves us from our sins,
and we ought not to seek, and cannot find
salvation in any other.

Matt, 1: 21. And she shall bring forth a eon; and
thou Shalt call His name Jesus: for it is He that shall
save His people from their sins. —Acts 4: 12. And in
none other is there salvation: for neither is there any
other name under heaven, that is given among men,
wherein we must be saved. — John 6:40. 1 Oor. 6: n.

30. Do those persons truly believe in Jesus
as a Saviour who seek their salvation of themselves
or elsewhere ?

No ; for though they may boast of Him
in words, they deny Him in their deeds ; for
Jesus will not be a complete Saviour to us
unless by faith we find in Him all that we
need for our salvation.

Col. 1: 19, 20. For It was the good pleasure of the
Father that in Him should all the fulness dwell; and
through Him to reconcile all things unto Hiniselt.
having made peace through the blood of His cross.—
Heb. 7: 25. He is able to save to the uttermost them
that draw near unto God through Him. — John l:i4.
Col. 2; 10.

1 2th Sunday.

31. Why is He called Christ, that is, anointed ?
Because He is anointed with the Holy

Ghost, and ordained by God the Father
to be our chief prophet, our only high-
priest, and our eternal king.

Acts 10: 38. Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed

THE SHORTER HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

Him with the Holy Spirit and with power. — John
6. 14. This is of a truth the prophet that cometh into
the world. — Heb. 3: 1. Consider the Apostle and High-
Priest of our confession, even Jesus. — Rev. 7: 25.

32. Why are you called a Christian ?

Because I am a member of Christ by
faith, and a partaker of His anointing;
that so I may confess His name, and de-
voting myself to His service, may fight
against sin and Satan, in this life, and reign
with Christ hereafter.

Gal. 2: 20. That life which I now live in the flesh.
I live in faith, the faith which is in the Son of God.—
2!0or. 1: 21. Rom. 12: 1. I beseech you brethren, by
the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living
sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spirit-
ual service. — Eph. 6: 11, 12. Put on the whole armor
of God. — 2 Tim. 2: 12.

1 2th Sunday.

33. Why is Christ called the only begotten
Son of God, since we are also the children of God ?

Because Christ alone is the eternal and
natural Son of God; but we are children
adopted of God, by grace, for His sake.

John 1:1. In the beginning was the Word, and the
Word was with God, and the Word was God. — Heb.
1:^, 3. Gal. 3: 2(5. For ye are all sons of God, through
faith in Christ Jesus.

34. Why do we call Him our Lord ?

Because He has redeemed us, body and
soul, from sin and all the power of the devil,
not with gold or silver, but with His
precious blood, and thus has made us His
own.

1 Oor. 6: 20. For ye were bought with a price : glorify
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THE SHORTER HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

God therefore In your body. — Ool. 1 : 14. In whom we
have our redemption, the forgiveness of our sins.—
Heb. 2: U. That througrh death He might bring to
nought hiui that had the power of death, that is the
devil.

14th Sunday.

35. What is the meaning of the words : "He
was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Vir-
gin Mary ?"

That the eternal Son of God, through
the Holy Ghost, took upon Him, the very
nature of man, of the flesh and blood of the
Virgin Mary; that He might be the true
seed of David, like unto His brethren in all
things, sin excepted.

1 John 5: 20. Gal. 4: 4. When the fulness of the
time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman.
— Luke 1:35. The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee
and the power, of the Most High shall overshadow
thee; wherefore also the holy thing which is begotten
shall be called the Son of God. — Acts 13: 23. Heb. 4: 1-5.
In all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

36. What profit have you from the holy con-
ception and birth of Christ ?

That He is our Mediator, and with His
innocence and perfect holiness covers, in
the sight of God, my sin, wherein I was
born.

1 Tim. 2: .5. For there is one God, one Mediator also
between God and men. Himself man: Christ Jesus.—
Rev. 1 ; 5. Unto Him that loveth us, and loosed us from
our sins by His blood. — Ps. 51: 5. Behold I was brought
forth in iniquity; and in sin did my mother con-
ceive me.

13th Sunday.

37 What do you understand by the words:
"He suffered ?"

THE SHORTER HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

That during all His life on earth,
especially at its end, Jesus bore, in body and
soul, the wrath of God against the sins of
all mankind : that by His passion, as the
only atoning sacrifice, He might obtain for
us redemption from sin, and eternal life.

Isa. 58;3. He was despised, and rejected of men;
a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. — Matt.
2(1 : 38. My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto
death. — Heb. 9: 12.

38. Why did He suffer under Pontius Pilate
as judge ?

That, though innocent, He might be
condemned by a worldly judge, and thereby
free us from the severe judgment of God
to which we were exposed.

John 18:38. And when he (Pilate) had said this,
he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them,
I find no crime in Him. — Isa. 53: 5. The chastisement
of our peace was upon Him: and with His sti'ipes we
are healed. — Luke 23: 14, 15. Rom. 8: 34.

39. Is there anything more in His having been
crucified than if He had died some other death ?

Yes : for thereby I am assured that He
took on Him all the curse which lay upon
me ; for the death of the cross was accursed
of God.

Gal. 3: 13. Christ redeemed us from the curse of
the law, having become a curse for us ; for it is written,
Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree. — Deut.
21:23. Phil. 2:8, 9.

i6th Sunday.

40. Why must Christ suffer death ?

On account of the justice and truth of
86

THE SHORTER HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

God, satisfaction for our sins could be made
only by the death of the Son of God.

Rom. 1: 32. Knowing the ordinance of God, that
they that practice such things are worthy of death. —
Gen. 2; 17. For in the day that thou eatest thereof
thou slialt surely die. Gen. 3: 15.

41 . Why was He also buried ?

Thereby to prove that He was really
dead.

1 Cor. 15: 3, 4. For I delivered unto you first of all
that which I I'eceived: that Christ died for our sins
according to the Bcriptures; and that He was buried.
— Matt. 27: 60. And Joseph laid the body of Jesus in
his own new tomb. — Acts 13: 29. Isa. 53: 9.

42. Since then Christ died for us, why must
we also die ?

Our death is not a satisfaction for our
sins, but only a dying unto sin, and an en-
trance into eternal life.

Rom. 6: 7. For he that hath died is justified from
sin. — Phil. 1: 21. For me to live is Christ, and to die
is gain. 2 Cor. 5: 1.

43. What further benefit do we receive from
the crucifixion of Christ ?

By His power our sinful nature is cru-
cified, dead and buried with Him ; so that
the base passions of the flesh may no more
reign in us, but that we may offer ourselves
unto Him a sacrifice of thanksgiving.

Rom. 6: 6. Knowing this, that our old man was
crucified with Him. — Rom. 6: 8. But if we died with
Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him. —
Rom. 6: 4. We were buried therefore with Himthrouerh
baptism unto death. Rom. 6:14. For sin shall not
have dominion over you: for ye are not under law,
but under grace. — Rom. 6: 13. Present yourselves
unto God, as alive from the dead.
87

THE SHORTER HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

44. Why is it added : -'He descended into
hell ?"

That, in my greatest temptations, I
may be assured that Christ my Lord, by
His untold anguish, pains and fears, which
He suffered in His soul, on the cross, and
before, has delivered me from the anguish
and torment of hell.

Mark 15: 34. — John 16: 33. Be of good cheer; I have
overcome the world.— 1 Cor. 15: 55, 57. O death, where
is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? .... But
thanks be to Gtod, who giveth us the victory through
our Lord Jesus Christ. — Isa, 53: 4. 1 Thess. 1: 10.

lyth Sunday.

45. What does the resurrection of Christ profit
us?

By His resurrection He has overcome
death, that He might make us partakers of
His righteousness ; and, by His power raise
us up to a new life, and also give us a sure
pledge of our blessed resurrection.

Rom. 6: 9. Knowing that Christ being raised from
the dead dieth no more ; death no moi'e hath dominion
over Him. — Rom. 4: 25. — Who was delivered up for
our trespasses, e,nd was raised for our justification.—
Rom. 6: 4. 1 Cor. 15: 20. But now hath Christ been
raised from the dead, the first fi-Uits of them that are
asleep. — 1 Thess. 4: 14. Rom. 8; 11. Acts 26: 23.

i8th Sunday.

46. How do you understand the word^ : "He
ascended into heaven ?"

That Christ, in sight of His disciples,
was taken up from the earth into heaven
and remains there for our good, until He

88

The shorter heidelberg catechism.

shall come again to judge the living and the
dead.

Acts 1 : 9. As they were looking. He was taken up,
and a cloud received Him out of their sight. — John
16: 7. Acts 3: 21. Whom the heaven must receive un-
til the time of restoration of all things, whereof God
spake by the mouth of His holy Prophets that have
been from of old. — Heb. 7: 25.

47. Is not Christ with us, then, to the end of
the world, as He has promised ?

In His human nature He is no more
on earth, but in His Godhead, majesty and
grace, He is never absent from us.

John 16; 28. Again I leave the world and go unto
the Father.— Matt. 28: 20. Lo, I am with you always,
even unto the end of the world. — Matt. 26: 11. Heb.
8:4. Acts 3: 21. Matt. 18: 20. Ps. 139: 7-10. 2 Oor. 13: 14.

48. Are the two natures in Christ, then, ever
separated ?

No : for His divine nature is never
limited w^ith His human nature, though it
remains personally united to it.

Phil. 2; 8, 9. Found in fashion as a man. He hum-
bled Himself, becoming obedient unto death . . .
Wherefore God highly exalted Him. — Col. 2: 9. For
In Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
— Job 11: 7—9. Acts 17: 27. John 3: 13. And no one
hath ascended unto heaven, but He that descended
out of heaven, even the Son of man, who is in heaven.

49. What does the ascension of Christ into
heaven benefit us ?

He is now our Advocate with the

Father : and His glorified body is a pledge

that we, as His members, will finally be

taken up to Him ; and He also sends us His

89

^HE SHORTER HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

Holy Spirit to seal this truth upon our
hearts.

Heb. 9; 24. For Christ entered not Into a holy
place made with hands, but Into heaven itself, now to
appear before the face of God for us. —John 14; 2,3.
I go to prepare a place for you. — Eph. 2: 4.

igth Sunday.

50. Why is it added : "and sitteth at the right
hand of God?"

Christ appears in heaven as the Head
of His Church, and by Him, the Father
governs all things.

Eph. 1:22. And He put all things in subjection
under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all
things to the church. — Matt. 28: 18. All authority
hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth. —
1 Cor. 15: 25. John 5: 22. 1 Peter 3: 22.

51. What profit is the glory of Christ, our
Head, unto us ?

Thus through His Holy Spirit, He
pours out heavenly gifts upon us, His mem-
bers, and also defends, and preserves us
against all enemies.

Acts 2: 33. Being thei'efore by the right hand of
God exalted, . . He hath poured forth this, which ye
see and hear. —John 10: 28. I give unto them eternal
life; and they shall never perish, and no one shall
snatch them out of my hand. — Acts 10: 45.

52. What comfort is it to you that Christ shall
come again to judge the living and the dead ?

I now expect from heaven the selfsame

Person, who once appeared on my behalf,

and took away all curse from me ; who shall

cast all His and my enemies into eternal

90

THE SHORTER HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

condemnation, but shall take me, with all
His chosen ones, to Himself.

Luke 21: 28. When these things begin to come to
pass, look up, and lift up your heads; because your
Redemption draweth nigh - Acts .K^v^'^v^He charged
us to preach unto the people, and to testify that this
Is He who Is ordained of God to be tlie Judge of the
living and the dead.- John 17: 24. 1 Thess. 4: 17. Matt.
25: 34.

20th Sunday.

53. What do you believe concerning the Holy
Ghost?

That equally with the Father and the
Son, He is eternal God; that He is mine,
and by a true faith makes me a partaker of
Christ, and of all His benefits; and also
comforts me, and will abide with me for-
ever.

Acts 2: 38. 1 Cor. 12: 3. No man cam say, Jesus is
Lord, but in the Holy Spirit.- John 14: 16. And I will
pray the Father, and He shall give you another Com-
forter, that He may be with you forever, even the
Spirit of truth.— Eph. 3: 17. Acts 9: 31.

2 1st Sunday.

54. What do you believe concerning the Holy
Catholic Church ?

That the Son of God, from age to age,
gathers and preserves unto Himself ,^ by His
Spirit and word, a cnosen communion, out
of our race, agreeing in true faith ; and that
I am, and forever shall remain, a living
member thereof.

John 17: 20, 21. Neither for these only do I pray,
but for them also that believe on me through then-
word; that they may all be one. — Matt. 16: 18. Thou
art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my churcn;
91

THE SHORTER HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. —
Eph. 4: 13. Till we all attain unto the unity of the
faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God. — Ps.
23:6.

55. What do you understand hj the "Com-
munion of Saints ?"

That each one, who is a member of
Christ by faith, shares in all His treasures
and gifts, and is bound to use them for the
good of his fellow members.

1 John 1 : 3. Our fellowship is with the Father, and
with His Son Jesus Christ.— Rom. 8: 32. He that
spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us
all, how shall He not also with Him, freely give us all
things ? — 1 Peter 4: 10. Eph. 4: 25.

56. What do you helieve concerning the for-
giveness of sins ?

That God, for Christ's sake, will no
more remember my sins, nor the sinful na-
ture with which I have to struggle all my
life long ; but graciously gives me the right-
eousness of Christ, that I may never come
into judgment.

Eph. 1: 7. In whom we have our redemption
through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses,
according to the riches of His grace. Jer. 31 : 34. I will
forgive their iniquity, and their sin will I remember
no more. Rom. 8: 1. There is therefore now no con-
demnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. —John
3:18. John 5: 24.

22iid Sunday.

57. What comfort have you from the doctrine
of the resurrection of the body ?

That, after this life, my soul shall be
immediately taken up to Christ, its Head;
and this my body, raised, by the power of

93

THE SHORTER HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

Christ, shall be again united with my soul,
and be like the glorious body of Christ.

Phil. 1:23. But I am in a strait betwixt the two,
having the desii-e to depart and be with Christ ; for it
is very far l^etter. — 2 0or. 5: 8. Willing rather to be
absent from the body, and to be at home with the
Lord.

58. What comfort have you from the artiele —
"Life everlasting ?"

That since I now feel in my heart the
beginning of eternal joy, I shall, after this
life, inherit perfect bliss, therein to praise
God forever.

lPeterl:8. Whom not having seen ye love; on
whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye
rejoice greatly with joy unspeakable and full of glory.

— Matt. 25: 46. 1 Cor. 2: 9. Things which eye saw not,
and ear heard not, and which entered not into the
heart of man, whatsoever things God prepared for
them that love Him. — Rev. 22; 3. Rev. 19:5. Rev.7:15.
2Cor. 4:17, 18.

2Srd Sunday.

59. But what does it help you now that you
believe all this?

I am thus righteous in Christ, before
God, and an heir of eternal life.

Rom. 5: 1. Being therefore justified by faith, we
have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

— John 5: 24. He that heareth my word, and belleveth
Him that sent me, hath eternal life. — Rom. 3: 21. John
8:15,36. Titus 3: 7.

60. How are you righteous before God ?

Only by a true faith in Jesus Christ;
and though my conscience accuse me that
I have disobeyed God in the past and am
still inclined unto all evil; yet God grants

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THE SHORTER HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

and imputes unto me, the perfect satisfac-
tion, righteousness and holiness of Christ,
as my own ; when I accept such benefit with
a believing heart.

Rom. 2:24. Being justifled freely by His grace,
through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. — 2 Cor.
5: 21. Him who knew no sin He made to be sin on
our behalf; that we might become the righteousness
of God in Him. — Rom. 10: 10. For with the heart man
belleveth unto righteousness.— Phil. 3: 9. Rom. 3: 25.
John 3: 16.

61. Why do you say that you are righteous by
faith only ?

Not that I am acceptable to God on
account of the worthiness of my faith, but
because I can personally accept the satis-
faction, righteousness and holiness of
Christ, by faith only.

Eph. 2: 8, 9. For by gi-ace have ye been saved
through faith; and that not of yourselves, it Is the
gift of God ; not of works, that no man should glory. —
Rom. 10: 4. For Christ is the end of the law unto right-
eousness to everyone that believeth. — Rom. 3: 22. 1
John 5: 10. Isa. 61:10.

24th Sunday.

62. But why cannot our good works be the
whole, or part, of our righteousness before God ?

Because, the righteousness which God
will accept must be perfect, and our best
works, in this life, are all imperfect and
defiled with sin.

Gal. 3: 10. Cursed is every one who continueth not
in all things that are written in the book of the law,
to do them. — Isa. 64: 6. For we are all become as one
that is unclean, and all our righteousnesses ai'e as a
polluted garment. — Jas 2: 10. Phil. 3: 12, 13.

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THE SHORTER HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

63. But why have our good works no merit,
when God will reward virtue here and hereafter ?

The reward comes not of merit, but of

grace.

Luke 17: 10. When ye shall have done all of these
things that are coninianded you, say, we are unprofit-
able servants ; we have done that which it was oui'
duty to do. — E ph. 1:6. 1 Oor. 15: 10. 2 Tim. 1: 9.

64. But does not this doctrine make men
careless and profane ?

No ; for it is impossible that those, who
are implanted into Christ by a true faith,
should not bring forth fruits of thankful-
ness.

Rom. 3: 31. Do we then make the law of none effect
through faith? God forbid ; nay, we establish the law.
— John 15: 5. I am the vine, ye are the bi'anches: he
that abideth In me, and I in him, the same beareth
much fruit. — Titus 3: 8. Matt. 7:18. Eph. 2: 10.

THE SACRAMENTS.
23th Sunday.

65. Since then we are partakers of Christ and
all His benefits, by faith only, whence comes this
faith ?

The Holy Spirit works faith in our
hearts by the preaching of the Gospel, and
confirms it by the use of the sacraments.

Gal. 5: 22. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,
peace, longsuflfering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness
etc. — Rom. 10: 17. So belief cometh of hearing, and
hearing by the word of Christ.— Acts 8: 36, 38. Acts
10:47,48. Acts 16: 30— 33. Acts 2: 41, 42. 1 Oor. 11:26.

66. What are the sacraments ?

The sacraments are holy, visible signs
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THE SHORTER HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

and seals, appointed of God ; to declare and
seal unto us the Gospel promise, of forgive-
ness of sin, and life eternal, through Christ's
sacrifice on the cross.

lOor. 11: 25. This do, as often as ye drink it, in
remenabrance of me. — 1 Cor. 11: 26. For as often as ye
eat this bread, and drink the cup, ye proclaim the
Lord's death till He come.— Gal. 3: 27. For as many of
you as were baptized into Chi-ist did put on Christ.—
Matt. 26: 28.

67. Do the word and the sacraments hoth
direct us to the cross ?

Yes; the Holy Spirit assures us in the
Gospel and the sacraments, that our entire
salvation depends upon the sacrifice of
Christ, made for us, upon the cross.

I Oor. 3: 11. For other foundation can no man lay
than that which is laid, which is Christ Jesus.— Matt.
26: 28. For this is my blood of the covenant, which is
poured out for many unto remission of sins. — Rom.
6:8. 1 Oor. 11: 26. Gal. 3: 27. Heb. 10: 10.

68. How many sacraments has Christ insti-
tuted in the New Testament ?

Two : holy baptism and the holy sup-
per.

Matt. 28: 19. 1 Oor. 11 : 23—25.

OF HOLY BAPTISM.
26th Sunday.

69. How are you taught and assured in holy
haptism that the sacrifice of Christ on the cross is
for your benefit ?

Christ has appointed this outward
washing with water, and joined with it this
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THE SHORTER HEHJELEERG CATECHISM.

promise; that I am washed, with the blood
and Spirit of Christ, from the uncleanness
of my soul through sin, as surely as I am
washed outwardly with water.

Matt. 28:19. Go ye therefore, and make disciples
of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. — Acts
'>">: 16. Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy
sins, calling on His name. — Titus 3:5. Acts 10: 47.
1 Peter 3: 21. 1 John .5: 6. Acts 2: 39. Luke 3: 3.

70. What is it to be washed with the blood
and Spirit of Christ ?

It is to receive of God forgiveness of
sins, freely, through Christ's blood shed up-
on the cross : to be renewed by the Holy
Spirit, and sanctified as members of Christ,
that we may lead godly and blameless lives.

1 John 1: 7. And the blood of Jesus His Son cleans-
eth us from all sin. — 1 Oor. 6: 11. But ye were washed,
but ye were sanctified, but ye were justified in the
name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our
God. — Rom .6:4. E ph. 4 : 22—24.

71. What is Christ's promise concerning bap-
tism?

"Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost ; he
that believeth and is baptized shall be saved ;
but he that believeth not shall be damned."
The Scripture also calls baptism "the wash-
ing away of sins."

Matt. 28: 19. Titus 3: 5. Acts 22: 16.
2yfh Sunday.

72. Is the outward washing with water itself
the washing away of sins ?

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THE SHORTER HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

No ; for the blood of Jesus Christ only,
and the Holy Spirit, cleanse us from all sin.

1 Peter 3: 21. — 1 John 1 : 7. The blood of Jesus His
Son cleanseth us from all sin. 1 Cor. 0: 11. But ye
were washed, but ye wei-e sanctified, but ye were justi-
fied in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the
Spirit of our God. — 1 John 5: 6.

73. Why, then, does Scripture call baptism
"the washing of regeneration, and the washing
away of sins ?"

To teach us, that, as the uncleanness of
of the body is taken away by water, so our
sins are removed by the blood and Spirit of
Christ ; and to assure us that we are spiritu-
ally cleansed from our sins, as really as our
bodies are washed with water.

Rev. 1: 5. Unto Him that loveth us, and loosed us
from our sins by His blood. — Gal. 3: 27. For as many
of you as were baptized into Christ did put on Ohi'ist.
— Acts 2: 38. Isa. 4: 4. Titus 3: 5.

74. Should infants also be baptized ?

Yes ; for they belong to the people and
covenant of God, as well as their
parents, and should be ingrafted in-
to the Christian Church by baptism, as a
sign of the covenant; and thus be dis-
tinguished from the children of unbelievers
by baptism, as was done under the Old
Testament by circumcision.

Gen. 17: 7. — Mark 10: 14-16. Suffer the little chil-
dren to come unto me; forbid them not: for to such
belongeth the kingdom of God. — Acts 2: 38, 39. Repent
ye, and be baptized every one of you In the name of
Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins; and ye
shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For to you
is the promise, and to your children, and to all that
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THE SHORTER HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall
call unto Him. — 1 Cor. 7: 14. Else were your children
unclean; but now are they holy. Gen. 17:11. Col. 2:
11, 12.

OF THE HOLY SUPPER.
28th Sunday.

75. How are you taught and assured in the
holy supper that you have part in the one offering
of Christ on the cross, and of all His benefits ?

Christ has commanded me, and all be-
lievers, to partake of His supper; and
promises that as His body was broken and
blood shed, upon the cross, for me; so, as
I taste the bread and cup, He feeds and
nourishes my soul to everlasting life with
His crucified body and shed blood.

Matt. 26: 28. He p:ave bread to the disciples, and
said, Take, eat; this is my body. And He took a cup,
and gave thanks, and gave to them saying. Drink ye
all of It. — Luke 22: 19. This do in remembrance of
me. - 1 Cor. 10: 16. 1 Cor. 11 : 23-27. Mark 14: 22-26.

76. What is it, then, to eat the crucified body,
and drink the shed blood of Christ ?

It is to embrace with a believing heart
all the sufiferings and death of Christ, and
thereby obtain the pardon of sin and life
eternal ; thus to be united to His sacred
body, by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit,
and live in constant communion with Him.

1 Cor. 11 : 23—25. This do, as often as ye drink it, in
remembrance of me. As often as ye do this, ye pro-
claim the liord's death till He come. — John 6: 46, 47.
He that believeth hath eternal life. lam the bread
of Ufe.

THE SHORTER HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

77. Where has Christ promised thus to feed
and nourish believers, with His body and blood, in
His supper ?

In the words : ''Take, eat ; this is my
body which is broken for you . . . This cup
is the New Testament in my blood : this do
ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance
of me." And St. Paul adds: "The cup
of blessing which we bless, is it not the
communion of the blood of Christ? The
bread which we break, is it not the com-
munion of the body of Christ?

1 Oor. 11: 23-25. John 6: 50, 53, 54, 56. Eph. 5:30.
Rom. 8: 9—11.

^gth Sunday.

78. Do, then, the bread and wine become the
very body and blood of Christ?

No ; but as the water in baptism is not
changed into the blood of Christ, so the
bread in the Lord's Supper is not changed
into the very body of Christ ; thougn, agree-
ably to the nature and usage of a sacrament,
it is called the body of Christ.

1 Peter 3: 21. Not the putting away of the filth of
flesh, but the Interrogation of a good conscience toward
God. — 1 Oor. 10: 16. The cup, is it not a communion of
the blood of Christ? The bread, is it not a communion
of the body of Christ ?

79. Why, then, does Christ call the bread His
body, and the cup His blood ?

To teach us that, as bread and wine
sustain this temporal life, so His crucined
body and shed blood are the true meat and
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THE SHORTER HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

drink of our souls unto life eternal and to
assure us, by these visible signs and pledges,
that we are real partakers of His true body
and blood, and all His sufferings and obe-
dience are our own.

John 6: 35. Jesus said unto them, I am the bread
of life: he that conieth to me, shall not hunger and he
that believeth on me shall never thirst. —John 6: 63.
The flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I have
spoken unto you are spirit, and are life.

joth Sunday.

80. What difference is there between the
Lord's Supper and the Popish mass ?

The supper testifies, that the one offer-
ing of Christ on the cross secures to us full
pardon of sin ; but the mass teaches that no
one can be forgiven, through Christ's suffer-
ings, unless He be daily offered for them by
the priests, wlio claim that Christ, as an
object of worship, is bodily under the form
of bread and wine.

Heb. 10: 14. For by one offering He hath perfected
forever them that are sanctified. — Gal. 5:4. Ye are
severed from Christ, ye who would be justified by the
law.

81. Who ought to come to the table of the
Lord?

Those who are truly sorry for their
sins, and yet trust that they are forgiven
for Christ's sake; who also desire to have
their faith more and more strengthened,
and their lives more holy.

1 Oor. 11: 28. But let a man prove himself, and so
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THE SHORTER HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

let him eat of the bread, and drink of the cup. — Ps.
51:17. Heb. 11:(5.

82. Should unbelievers and the ungodly be
admitted to this supper ?

No; lest the covenant of God be pro-
faned, and His wrath kindled against the
whole congregation : therefore it is the duty
of the Christian Church, to exclude such
persons, by the office of the keys, until they
amend their lives.

Matt. 7: 6. Give not that which is holy to the dogs,
neither cast your pearls before the swine. ~ 1 Oor. 5: 13.
Put away the wicked man from among yourselves.—
1 Oor. 5: 11—13. Ps*. 50: 16, 17.

Sist Sunday.

83. What is the office of the keys ?

The preaching of the Gospel, and
Christian discipline; by which the kingdom
of heaven is opened to believers, and shut
against unbelievers.

Matt. Ifi: 19. I will give unto thee the keys of the
kingdom of heaven. - Matt. 18: 18.

84-. How is the kingdom of heaven opened
and shut by the preaching of the Gospel ?

The word preached, publicy declares
forgiveness to all believers, whenever they
receive the promise of the Gospel with true
faith ; but to the impenitent, that the wrath
of God abides upon them.

John 6: 66. Upon this many of His disciples went
back, and walked no more with Him. — 2 Oor. 2: 16. To
the one a savor from death unto death; to the other a
savor from life unto life.

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THE SHORTER HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

85. How is the kingdom of heaven shut and
opened by Christian discipline ?

It is shut by action of the Church, or
its officers, in excluding unworthy persons
from their communion, as scripture directs;
and opened when, upon promise and proof
of amendment, they are again received as
members of Christ and His Church.

Matt. IS: 17. And if he refuse to hear them, tell it
unto the church: and if he refuse to hear the church
also, let him be unto thee as the Gentile and the pub-
lican. — Gal. 6: 1. Brethren, even if a man be overtaken
In any trespass, ye who are spiritual restore such a
one in a spirit of gentleness. — 1 Cor. 5: 11.

The Third Part.

OF THANKFULNESS.
S2nd Sunday.

86. Since we are saved by grace in Christ
alone, why must we still do good works ?

To show that we are thankful to God
for His blessings ; to be assured ourselves
of our faith by its fruits ; and, by our godly
conversation, also to win others to Christ.

John 7: 17. If any man willeth to do His will. He
shall know of the teaching, whether it is of God. or
whether I speak from myself. — Ps. llfi: 12. What shall
I render unto Jehovah for all His benelits toward me ?
— Matt. 5: 16. Let your light shine.

87. Can they be saved who turn not to God
from their unthankful, impenitent life ?

By no means ; for the Scriptures de-
clare that no unchaste person, idolater,
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THE SHORTER HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

adulterer, thief, covetous man, drunkard,
slanderer, robber, or any such like, shall in-
herit the kingdom of God.

Eph. 5: 5. For this we know of a surety, that no
fornicator, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who
is an Idolater, hath any Inheritance in the kingdom
of Christ and God. — Matt. 18: 3.

23rd Sunday.

88. In how many parts does true repentance,
or the conversion of man consist ?

In two parts : the dying of the old man,
and the quickening of the new.

Col. 3:3. For ye died, and your life is hid with
Christ in Gtod.

89. What is the dying of the old man ?

To be heartily sorry for sin; and to
hate it, and flee from it, more and more.

2 Oor. 7: 10. For godly sorrow worketh repentance
Unto salvation. — Rom. 12: 9.

90. What is the quickening of the new man ?

Heartfelt joy in God; and, therefore,
loving, and delighting, to live according to
the will of God, in all good works.

Gal. 2: 20. It is no longer I that live, but Christ
llveth in me: and that life which I now live in the
flesh I live in faith, the faith which is in the Son of
God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. — Rom.
7:22. Ps. 51:8.

91. But what are good works?

Only those which are done from true
faith, according to the law of God, for His
glory; and not such as are founded on our
own opinoin, or the sayings of men.

Phil. 2: 12. Work out your own salvation with fear
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THE SHORTER HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

and trembling; for It Is God who worketh In you . . .
for His good pleasure. — 1 Cor. 13: 13. Now abideth
faith, hope, love; and the greatest of these is love.

J4th Sunday.

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.

92. What is the law of God ?

God spake all these words, saying:

I. I am the Lord Thy God, which have

brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out

of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have

no other gods before Me.

2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any
graven image, or any likeness of anything
that is in heaven above, or that is in the
earth beneath, or that is in the water under
the earth : thou shalt not bow down thyself
to them, nor serve them ; for I the Lord thy
God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity
of the fathers upon the children unto the
third and the fourth generation of them
that hate me; and showing mercy unto
thousands of them that love me and keep
my commandments.

3. Thou shalt not take the name of
the Lord thy God in vain : for the Lord will
not hold him guiltless that taketh His name
in vain.

4. Remember the Sabbath day, to
keep it holy : six days shalt thou labor, and
do all thy work ; but the seventh day is the
sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou

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THE SHORTER HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son,
nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor
thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor
thy stranger that is within thy gates.
For in six days the Lord made
heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in
them is, and rested the seventh day : where-
fore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and
hallowed it.

5. Honor thy father and thy mother;
that thy days may be long upon the land
which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

6. Thou shalt not kill.

7. Thou shalt not commit adultery.

8. Thou shalt not steal.

9. Thou shalt not bear false witness
against thy neighbor.

10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's
house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's
wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-
servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any-
thing that is thy neighbor's.

93. How are these ten commandments divi-
ded?

Into two tables : the first of which
teaches us how we must behave toward
God : the second what duties we owe to
our neighbor.

Ex. 31: 18. And He gave unto Moses, ^vhen He
106

THE SHORTER HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

had made an end of communine: with him upon mount
Sinai, the two tables of stone, written with the finger
of God. - Matt. 22: 37-39.

94. What does God require in the first com-
mandment ?

That I should avoid all idolatry; and
love, fear, and honor God with my whole
heart.

Deut. 6: 5. Thou shalt love Jehovah thy God with
all thy heart, and with all thy soul and with all thy
might. — John 17: 3.

95. What is idolatry ?

It is to invent, or have, some object of
trust other than God Himself.

Ex. 32: 8. They have made them a molten calf, and
have worshiped it. — Prov. 3: 5. Lean not upon thine
own understanding.

S5th Sunday.

96. What does God require in the second
commandment ?

That we should never make any image
of God, nor worship Him in any other way
than He has commanded in His w^ord.

John 4: 24. God is a spirit: and they that worship
Him must worship Him in Spirit and in truth. Deut.
4: 23, 24.

97. Are we then not to make any image at
all ? ^

God must not and cannot be repre-
sented in any way: but thou2:h creatures
may be represented, yet God forbids us to
make or have any likeness of them, either to
worship them, or by them to serve Himself.

Acts 17: 29. Being then the offspring of God we
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THE SHORTER HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

ought not to think that the Godhead Is like unto gold,
or silver, or stone, graven by art and device of man
— Isa. 40: 18, 25. Lev. 26: 1.

98. But may not images be allowed in
churches as books for the laity ?

No; for God will not have Christians
taught by dumb idols, but the living preach-
ing of His word.

Ps. 135: 15, 18. The Idols of the nations are silver
and gold, the work of men's hands . . . They that
make them shall be like unto them ; yea, every one
that trusteth in them.— Ps. 119: 105. Thy word Is a
lamp unto my feet, and light unto my path. — 2 Tim.
3: 16, 17.

36th Sunday.

99. What is required in the third command-
ment?

That we must never profane the name
of God, nor use it in any other way than
with fear and reverence.

Lev. 24: 15. Whosoever curseth his God shall bear
his sin. - Matt. 5:34. Swear not at all. — Lev. 19: 12.
James 5: 12.

100. Is profanity a very great sin ?

Yes truly ; for no sin is greater, or more
provoking to God, than the profaning of
His name : and He has commanded it to
be punished with death.

Lev. 24: 16. And he that blasphemeth the name of
Jehovah, he shail surely be put to death. —Jas. 3:8.
The tongue can no man tame; it is a restless evil, It is
full of deadly poison. — Ps. 141: 3.

3/th Sunday.

101. May we, then, swear religiously in the
name of God ?

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THE SHORTER HEHIELBERG CATECHISM.

Yes ; when the glory of God, our neigh-
bor's good, or the magistrate may require
it ; even as did the saints under both the
Old and the New Testament dispensations.

Deut. 6: 13, Thou shalt fear Jehovah thy God, and
Him Shalt thou serve, and shalt swear by His name.

— Ezra 10: 5. Josh. 9: 19. Heb. 8:16.

102. May we also swear by the saints, or any
other creature ?

No ; for a lawful oath is a calling upon

God, who knows the heart, to bear witness

to the truth of what is said, or to punish me

if I swear falsely ; which honor is due to no

creature.

Ex. 20: 16. Thou shalt not bear false witness against
thy neighbor. — Heb. 6: 16. Men swear by the greater;
the oath is final for confirmation. — Isa. 8: 19.

38th Sunday.

103. What does God require in the fourth
commandment ?

That I attend church regularly on
Sabbath to hear God's word, use the sacra-
ments, pray, and give alms ; that thus ceas-
ing to do evil, and trusting in the Lord, I
may begin in this life, the eternal sabbath.

Matt. 9: 38. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the
harvest, that He send forth laborers into His harvest.

— Heb. 10: 25. Not forsaking our own assembling to-
gether. —Acts 20: 7. 1 Oor. 16: 2. Acts 2: 42. Heb. 4: 9.

Sgfh Sunday.

104. What does God require in the fifth com-
mandment ?

That I show all honor, lovfc, and faith-

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THE SHORTER HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

fulness to my parents, and all in authority

over me; heed their instructions, and bear

with their weaknesses, since it is God's will

to govern us by their hand.

Eph. 6: 2, 3. Honor thy father and mother (which
Is the first commandment with promise), that it may-
be well with thee, and thou mayst live long on the
earth. — Col. 3:20. Lev. 19:32. Eph. 6:4.

40ih Sunday.

105. What does God require in the sixth com-
mandment ?

That I should neither in thought, word,
or deed, hate, injure, or kill my neighbor,
or desire revenge, or wilfully endanger my
own life. •

Rom. 12:10. In love of the brethren be tenderly
affectioned one to another; in honor preferring one
another. — Eph. 4: 31.

106. Does this commandment, then, speak
only of murder ?

God here teaches us that He abhors en-
vy, hatred, anger, and desire for revenge, as
the secret causes of murder.

Gen. 9:6. Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man
shall his blood be shed. — 1 John 3: 15. Whosoever
hateth his brother is a murderer; and ye know that
no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

107. Is it enough that we do not kill our
neighbor in the way stated ?

No; for God requires us also to love

our neighbor as ourselves, to show mercy

toward him, and prevent his hurt ; and that

we should do good even to our enemies.

Matt. 5: 44. Love your enemies, and pray for

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THE SHORTER HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

them that persecute you. — Heb. 12: 14. Rom. li>: 2U
Pro V. 24:10. E ph. 4: 1—3.

41st Sunday.

108. What does the seventh commandment
teach us ?

That all unchastity is accursed of God :
and that we are therefore to hate it from
the heart, and live chastely, whether in, or
out of holy wedlock.

1 Ooi'. 6: 19. Know ye not that your body is a tem-
ple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have
from God? and ye are not your own. — Eph. 5: 3.
But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness,
let it not even be named among you, as becometh.
saints. — Heb. 13:4. 1 Thess. 4: 3— 5.

109. Does God in this commandment forbid
only such shameful sins as adultery ?

Since body and soul are both the
temples of the Holy Ghost, it is God's will
that we keep them pure and holy : hence He
forbids all unchaste actions, gestures,
words, thoughts, and whatever may excite
in men impure desires.

Titus 1: 15. To the pure all things are pure: but to
them that are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure ;
but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.
— Eph. 4: 17—20. Eph. 4: 29.

42nd Sunday.

110. What does God forbid in the eighth com-
mandment ?

Not only actual theft and robbery, but
also all wicked tricks and devices designed
to secure to ourselves our neighbor's goods ;
111

THE SHORTER HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

and also all abuse, and useless waste, of
God's gifts.

Lev. 19: 11, 13. Ye shall not steal; neither shall ye
deal falsely nor lie one to another. Thou shalt not
oppress thy neighbor nor rob him. — 1 Cor. 6: 10. Ex.
22:25. Jer. 22:13. IThess. 4:6.

111. But what does God bid you do, in this
commandment ?

That I advance my neighbor's profit
wherever I can and may, and deal with
him as I would have others deal with me;
and labor faithfully that I may have means
to help the poor.

Lev. 19: 35. Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judg-
ment, in measures of length and weight, or of quan-
tity. — Phil. 2: 4. Heb. 13: 16. Matt. 7: 12.

43)'d Sunday.

112. What is required in the ninth command-
ment?

That I -never bear false witness, nor
falsify the words of anyone, nor be a back-
biter, or slanderer ; but that I love the truth,
speak it uprightly, and, as far as I can,
defend and promote my neighbor's good
name.

Eph. 4: 25. "Wherefore, speak ye truth each one
with his neighbor. — Titus 3: 2. Speak evil of no man.
-Eph. 4:15, 25. Jas. 4: 11.

44th Sunday.

113. What does the tenth commandment re-
quire of us ?

That not even the smallest wish or

112

THE SHORTER HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

thought, contrary to any of God's com-
mandments, ever enter into our hearts ; but
that, with all the heart we evermore hate all
sin, and delight in all righteousness.

Matt. 5: 48. Ye therefore shall be perfect, as your
heavenly Father Is perfect. — Mark. 14: 8. She hath
done what she could. — Matt. 15: 19, 20. Hab. 2: 9.

114. Can those who are converted to God keep
all these commandments perfectly ?

No : for even the holiest men, while in
this life, have only a small beginning of this
obedience, yet with earnest purpose they do
begin to live according to all tne command-
ments of God.

1 John 1:8. If we say that we have no sin. we de-
ceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. — Phil. 3: 13.
I count not myself yet to have laid hold of . . . I press
on toward the goal unto the prize. — Ecc. 7: 20. Ps.
19:12. James 3: 2.

115. But why will God have the ten command-
ments so strictly preached, since in this life no
man can keep them ?

That all our lives long we may learn
more and more to know our sinful nature,
and so the more earnestly seek the forgive-
ness of sins, and righteousness in Christ ;
and pray to God for the grace of the Holy
Spirit to conform us to His image more and
more, till we reach our aim of perfection in
the life to come.

Rom. 3: 20. Through the law cometh the knowledge
of sin. — 1 Cor. 13: 9. For we know in part .... but
when that which is perfect is come, that which is in
part shall be done away. — 1 Jahn. 3: 2.

8 113

THE SHORTER HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

OF PRAYER.
43th Sunday.

116. Why is prayer necessary for Christians?
Because it is the chief part of the

thankfulness which God requires of us ; and
He will grant His grace and Holy Spirit
only to those, who, with longing hearts,
continually ask them of Him, and are thank-
ful for them.

Ps. 50: 14. Offer unto God the sacrifice of thanks-
giving ; and pay thy vows unto the Most High. — Matt.
7: 7. Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall
find, knock, and it shall be opened unto you. — Ps. 50:
23. Luke 11 : 13.

117. What are the requisites of such prayer
as God is well pleased with and will hear ?

We must call upon the one true God
for all that He has commanded us to ask
of Him, with a true knowledge of our need
and misery : with the firm assurance also that
He will hear us for Christ's sake, as He has
promised us in His word.

Matt. 4: 10. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God,
and Him only shalt thou serve. — Luke 18: 13. God, be
Thou merciful to me a sinner. — Eph. 3: 12. Ps. 145: 18.
Matt. 6:9-14.

118. What has God commanded us to ask of
Him?

All things necessary for soul and body,
which Christ our Lord has comprised in the
prayer He Himself has taught us.

119. What are the words of that prayer ?

114

THE SHORTER HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

''Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread. And for-
give us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver
us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory, for ever.
Amen."

46th Sunday.

120. Why has Christ commanded us to ad-
dress God thus : "Our Father ?"

That, at the first, He might awaken
within us a child-like trust and confidence,
that God has become our Father in Christ ;
and that He will much less deny us what
we ask of Him in faith, than our parents
will refuse us earthly things.

John 14: 20. In that day ye shall know that I am
in my Father, and ye In me, and I in you. - Jolin 1. 12.
But as many as received Him, to them gave He the
FiSht to become children of God. even to them that
believed on His name. Luke 11: 11. Isa. b3: lo.

121. Why are the words added : "Who art in
heaven ?"

That we may not form any earthly con-
ception of God's heavenly majesty, and may
expect from Him all things necessary for
bodv and soul.

2 Ohron. 20: 6. O Jehovah, the God of oi^iVt^thers.
art not Thou God in heaven ? - Acts L : 24 2^ &od^ th|
Tx)rd of heaven and earth, dwelleth not m tempiea
made with hands. - Ps. 115: 3.
115

THE SHORTER HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

47 th Sunday.

122. What is the first petition ?

''Hallowed be Thy name." That is:
Grant that we may rightly know Thee, and
sanctify, glorify, and praise Thee, in all
Thy works in which Thy power, wisdom,
goodness, justice, mercy, and truth appear;
that in thought, word, and deed we may
always honor and praise Thy name.

Rev. 4: 8. Holy, Holy, Holy, Is the Lord God; the
Almighty, who was, and who is, and who Is to come. —
Ps. 51:15. Rom. 1:19, 20.

48th Sunday.

123. What is the second petition ?

*'Thy kingdom come." That is; so
rule us by Thy Word and Spirit that we
may submit ourselves more and more unto
Ihee; preserve and increase Thy Church;
destroy the works of the devil; and hasten
the full coming of Thy kingdom, wherein
Thou shalt be all in all.

Matt. 6:33. But seek ye first His kingdom, and
His righteousness. — Ps. 122: 6. Pray for the peace of
Jerusalem. — Matt. 28: 19.

4gth Sunday.

124. What is the third petition ?

'Thy will be done in earth, as it is in

heaven." That is : grant that we, and all

men, may deny our own wills and obey Thy

good will without murmuring; that so each

116

THE SHORTER HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

may fulfil his own duty, and calling, wil-
ingly and truly, as the angels in heaven.

Acts 21 : 14. The will of the Lord be done. — John 4 ;
34. Jesus said, My meat is to do the will of Him that
sentme.— Ps. 103:20.

^oth Sunday.

125. What is the fourth petition ?

"Give us this day our daily bread."
That is : be pleased to provide for all our
bodily wants that we may know Thee as the
only fountain of all good ; for without Thy
blessing, neither our care and toil, nor Thy
gifts can profit us ; and therefore we should
trust alone in Thee.

Ps. 145: 15. The eyes of all wait foi* Thee, and Thou
glvest them their food in due season. - Acts 17: 25. He
Himself giveth to all life, and bi-eath, and all things.—
P8.55:22. Matt. 6:34.

31st Sunday.

126. What is the. fifth petition ?
"Forgive us our debts, as we forgive

our debtors." That is : be pleased, for the
sake of Christ's blood, not to impute unto
us our past guilt, nor present transgressions';
even as we purpose from the heart to for-
give our neighbor.

Ps. 25:7. Remember not the sins of my youth,
nor my transgressions. — Luke 11:4. And forgive us
our sins ; for we also forgive every one that is indebteC
to us. — Matt. 18: 35. Ps. 51 : 1, 2, V. »

52nd Sunday.

127. What is the sixth petition ?

117

THE SHORTER HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

''And lead us not into temptation, but
deliver us from evil." That is : since we
are too weak, in ourselves, to withstand otir
active and deadly enemies, the world, the
flesh and the devil ; do Thou preserve and
strengthen us, in this spiritual warfare, by
the power of Thy Holy Spirit, until we ob-
tain a complete victory.

Matt. 26: 41. Watch and pray, that ye enter not
into temptation. — Eph. 3:14. For this cause I bow
my knees unto the Father, from whom every family
in heaven and on earth is named. — 1 Cor. 10: 13.

128. How do you conclude this prayer ?
"For Thine is the kingdom, and the

power, and the glory, for ever." That is :
all this we ask of Thee, because Thou art
our Almighty King, and art able and
willing to give us all good ; that thereby,
not we, but Thy holy name may be glorified.

Ps. 115: 1. Not unto us, O Jehovah, not unto us, but
unto Thy name give glory, for Thy loving-kindness,
and for Thy truths sake. — Rev. 5: 11— 13. W^orthy is
the lamb that hath been slain, to receive the power,
and riches, and wisdom, and might, and honor, and
glory, and blessing.

129. What does the v^^ord "Amen" signify ?

''Amen," signifies it shall truly and

certainly be. For my prayer is more surely

heard of God than I feel in my heart that

I desire these things of Him.

Isa. 65: 24. And it shall come to pass that, before
they call, I will answer; and while they are still speak-
ing, I will hear. — Eph. 3: 20, 21. 2 Oor. 1: 20. John 14:
12. 13.

118

BOOK III

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Introductory Section.
THE BIBLE.

The Bible is the inspired word of God, given
US to reveal tO us God and His will. Its aim
is to guide us in life and save us in death. The
word "Bible" means Book, because it is "the
Book", greater than any or all other books.
(Ps. 119: 105.)

The Bible is a library of 66 books, 39 in the
Old Testament and 27 in the New. The Old
Testament is divided into four parts, Pentateuch,
Historical, Poetical and Prophetical books. The
Pentateuch (the five books of Moses) are Gene-
sis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteron-
omy. The Historical (12) are Joshua, Judges,
Ruth, I and II Samuel, I and II Kings,
I and II Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther.
The poetical books (5) are Job, Psalms, Proverbs,
Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon. The Prophet-
ical books are of two kinds, the Major (larger)
and Minor (smaller) Prophecies. The Major
Prophecies (5) are Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamenta-
tions, Ezekiel and Daniel. The Minor Prophe-
121

BIBLE HISTORY.

cies (12) are Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah,
Alicah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai,
Zachariah and Malachi.

The New Testament is divided into three
kinds of books, Historical, Epistles and Revela-
tions. The Historical books (5) are Matthew,
Mark, Luke, John and the Acts. The Epistles
(21) are Paul's Epistles (13) Romans, I and H
Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians,
Colossians, I and H Thessalonians, I and II
Timothy, Titus and Philemon. To these may-
be added Hebrews which is Pauline. Then follow the
Epistles of James, the two Epistles of Peter, the
three Epistles of John, and the Epistle of Jude.
The last book in the New Testament is the Book
of Revelations.

These books of the Old and the New Testa-
ments were written during a period of about
1600 years, from the time of ]\Ioses (about 1500
B. C.) to the death of John (about 100 A. D.).

The History of the Old Testament is divided
into the following periods :

I. Creation to the Patriarchs; 2. The Pa-
triarchs; 3. Moses and the Exodus; 4. Joshua
and the Judges; 5, The United Kingdom; 6. The
Kingdoms of Judah and Israel ; 7. The Captivity.
The New Testament is divided into two parts:
I. The Life of Christ, 2. The Lives of the Apos-
tles, or the History of the founding of the Church.

122

Part I.
The Old Testament.

Chapter I.
FROM CREATION TO THE PA-
TRIARCHS.

SECTION I.

THE CREATION.
(Gen. 1—3.)

In the beginning God created the Heavens
and the earth out of nothing (Heidelberg Cate-
chism Ans. 26) in six days or periods. The
earth existed first as a chaos, out of which the
three great natural kingdoms appeared, mineral,
vegetable and animal. The order of the creation
was, as follows :

the first day, Light (Cosmical),

the second day, the separation of the sky
(firmament) from the earth,

the third day, separation of land from the
sea and appearance of herbs and trees,

the fourth day, the sun, moon and stars
appear,

the fifth day, fishes and birds and lower ani-
mals,

the sixth day, higher animals and man.

the seventh day, in which God is said to have
rested.

The Bible story of Creation reveals God
133

BIBLE HISTORY.

as the Creator of all things and also His appoint-
ment of the Sabbath and of Matrimony, the
only divine orders of life remaining as remnants
of paradise. It reveals man as originally
innocent; "God created man after His own image
in righteousness and true holiness." His body
vi^as made of the dust of the earth, his spirit God
breathed into him, and he became a living soul.
God created Eve after Adam, so as to be Adam's
companion and helpmeet. Our first parents were
placed in a garden or Paradise in Eden, which
is supposed to have been either in Babylon or
Armenia, where two of its rivers, the Hiddekel
(Tigris) and Euphrates are located. God gave
our first parents three commands: i. to name the
animals and have dominion over them, 2. to dress
the garden and keep it, 3. to eat of every tree
in the garden save one, the tree of knowledge of
good and evil.

The temptation came from without, not from
within. Satan through the serpent tempted Eve,
denying that they would die if they ate of the
forbidden fruit and promising that they would
become as gods. Eve, who was tempted first, see-
ing the tree was good for food and pleasant to the
eyes and fitted to make one wise, ate and gave to
Adam, who also ate and they fell Their fall led
them to fear God instead of seeking His com-
panionship as heretofore. They fled from Him.
When God asked them the first question of the
Old Testament, "Where art thou?" they replied
that they fled from Him because they were naked.
Their nakedness, which they tried to cover by
sewing fig-leaves together, only revealed that they
had sinned. And each tried to find some excuse
by blaming the other. Adam placed the blame on
Eve, and Eve on the serpent. For their sin
Adam was compelled to labor by the sweat of
134

BIBLE HISTORY.

his brow; Eve, to subjection to her husband,
whose equal she had been; and the serpent to
suffer from the perpetual enmity of man. But
God did not punish them arbitrarily. Punish-
ment came because they had brought upon them-
selves spiritual death, (Gen. 2: 17.) Our
first parents were then cast out of Paradise and
God placed cherubim and a flaming sword to
keep them from the tree of life. But God did
not leave them without hope for He gave them
the gospel of the Garden of Eden (Protevangel-
ium - first gospel), "The seed of the woman
should bruise the serpent's head" (Gen. 3: 15).
Thus already the Garden of Eden reveals the
institution of the family and the hope of re-
demption through a coming Saviour.

SECTION 2.

CAIN AND ABEL.
(Gen. 4—5.)

Cain and Abel were the two children of
Adam and Eve, Cain a farmer and Abel a shep-
herd. They both brought sacrifices to God in
worship. Their sacrifices however differed on
three points :

(a). Abel brought of his flock, Cain, of the
fruits of the earth;

(b). Abel, of the firstlings (the best) which
Cain did not ;

(c). Abel came with faith (Heb. li: 4,)
Cain did not,

Cain's sacrifice was therefore rejected be-
cause not offered by faith and because it had no
shedding of blood, "without which there is no
remission of sin" (Heb. 11: 6). At this Cain
became very angry and slew his brother in the
field. "Where is thy brother" was God's question
135

BIBLE HISTORY.

to him — the second great question of Genesis.
For this awful murder the ground was cursed
to him and he became a wanderer, crying out,
"My punishment is greater than I can bear.'' He
went to the land of Nod (punishment) where
he built a city and where his descendents lived.

The descendents of Cain seemed to have
prospered in material things. Jabel was the first
wandering herdsman. Jubal invented musical
instruments and Tubal-cain was the first smith.
They were called the Sons of Men. The de-
scendents of Seth, another son of A'dam and Eve,
who was born to take the place of Abel, were
called the Sons of God. These were more
spiritually-minded than Cain's race. Of them
Enoch was the best. He lived 365 years and was
then translated to heaven. ]\Iethuselah^ was the
most long-lived of the sons of Seth, living 969
years.*

SECTION 3.

THE LIFE OF NOAH.
(Gen. 6—11.)
Noah was the last of the sons of Seth, who
lived before the flood. The world had
become so terribly wicked that God de-
termined to destroy mankind with a food but He
decided to save Noah and his family. Noah was
a preacher of righteousness and at God's com-
mand began the building of an ark of cypress
wood at which he spent 120 years. It had three
stories and (allowing 21 inches to a cubit) was
525 feet long, 87 feet wide and 58 feet deep. Into

* Note. The generations of Seth's family were, A-
dam, Seth, Enos, Cainan, Mahalaleel, Jared, Enoch,
Methuselah, Lamech, Noah. The line of Oaln were,
Adam, Gain, Enoch, Irad, Mehujael, Methusael, Lam-
ech whose children were, by Adah, Jabal and Jubal,
by Zillah, Tubal-cain and Naamah.
- 136

BIBLE niSTORV.

ft he took his family consisting of his wife, his
sons Shem, Ham and Japhet, and their wives —
eight in all. He also, at God's command, gath-
ered into it seven couples of each clean beast,
and two couples of each unclean beast and seven
couples of birds at God's command. Noah was
600 years old when the flood began. For forty
days and nights it rained until the water rose
twent3'-four feet above the hills. For five months
the ark floated on the waters. On the 17th day
of the seventh month, the waters had so subsided
that the ark went aground in Ararat. Two
months later the tops of the mountains appeared.
Forty days later. Noah sent out a raven from
the Ark which did not return. A week later he
sent out a dove but she returned as she found no
resting place. Seven days later he sent her out
again when she returned with an olive leaf in her
bill, — a sign that the flood was subsiding. One
week later the dove was sent out and did not re-
turn. In this flood the human race perished ex-
cept Noah's family. After having been in the
ark over a year, he went out at God's command.
His first act was to make an offering of a couple
of every clean beast and bird. God was pleased
at this act of worship and promised never to
destroy mankind again by water. As a pledge
of this He made the rainbow the sign of the
covenant.

Noah lived till he was 950 years old but his
later life was not perfect for he fell through
drink. Ham, for not covering his father's shame,
was cursed together with his descendents. The
sons of Noah, Shem, Ham and Japhet, were the
ancestors of three great races. They migrated
eastward to the Plain of Shinar (Babylonia).
There in their pride they determined to build a
tower that would reach to Heaven. For this
127

BIBLE HISTORY.

defiance of God, their language was confused, so
that they could not understand each other. The
work Qi building the tower was therefore given
up. From the Tower of Babel came therefore the
confusion of tongues,*

Chapter II.
THE PATRIARCHS.

(1921-1635 B. C.)

There were four generations of the Patri-
archs, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the twelve
sons of Jacob.

SECTION I.

ABRAHAM AND ISAAC
(Gen. 12-27.)

Abraham was called by God because the
world had again relapsed into idolatry and sin.
He lived in the far East at Ur in Chaldea. In
obedience to the call of God, he, at the age of
75, went forth, together with Terah his father,
his wife Sarah and his nephew Lot. They
journeyed to Haran east of the Euphrates.
There Terah died, aged 205 years. Abraham then
at God's command journeyed westward together
with Lot, not knowing whither he went. For this
faith he received the name of "the Father of the
Faithful." When he arrived at Shechem in
central Palestine God appeared to him again and
told him that He had given all that land to him.
Famine forced him to go to Egypt but later he
returned to Bethel in central Palestine.

* Note. Shem's descendents were Arphaxad, Sal-
ah, Eber, Peleg, Reu, Serug, Nahor and Terah, the
father of Abraham.

128

BIBLE HISTORY.

Abraham and Lot separated, because they
became so rich in flocks that they could not find
sufficient pasture and water. Abraham generous-
ly gave to Lot the choice. Lot chose the beauti-
ful and fertile plain of Sodom at the Dead Sea.
Abraham located in the hill country at Hebron
in Southern Palestine. When Chedorlaomer with
three allied kings carried ofif Lot as captive,
Abraham gathered an army of his servants 318
in number, and pursued Chedorlaomer to Hobah
north of Damascus and rescued Lot and his fam-
ily. On his return, MelcTiizedek, king of Salem
(later Jerusalem), a priest of the most high God,
met Abraham, bringing him bread and wine and
giving him his blessing. Abraham in return gave
him tithes.

Then God gave a promise to Abraham that
he should have a son and that his seed should be
as the stars for multitude. (Gen. 15: 5 — 6).
This promise was later renewed and his seed
were compared to the sand of the sea-shore
(Gen. 22: 17) and to the dust (Gen. 28: 14).
Abraham believed God's promise and it was count-
ed to him for righteousness. To confirm this,
God made a covenant with Abraham, which was
later renewed by the addition of the rite of cir-
cumcision. This covenant was further empha-
sized by the visit of the three angels to Abra-
ham's tent who foretold the birth of a son,
Sarah laughed for she had not Abraham's faith.
For this she was rebuked by the angels, but
within a year she became the mother of a son,
Isaac.

The three angels who visited Abraham's tent
made known to him that God would destroy Sod-
om and Gomorrah because of their great wicked-
ness. Abraham interceded with God most earn-
estly and perseveringly to spare Sodom, — for

9 129

BIBLE HISTORY.

fifty's sake down to ten's sake. God agreed to
spare it if ten righteous could be found there.
As there were not that many righteous there, it
was destroyed. Warned by the angels, Lot tried
to get his sons-in-law to flee but they laughed
him to scorn. He, with his wife and two daugh-
ters fled to a neighboring town, Zoar. But his
wife looked back and was turned to a pillar of
salt. God rained fire out of heaven and the
smoKe of the country went up as a furnace.

Abraham then went south to Beersheba where
Isaac was born: When Isaac was weaned, Ish-
mael, Abraham's son by the concubine Hagar,
mocked him because he was jealous that Isaac
was the heir. So at Sarah's request Abraham
sent Hagar and Ishmael away, giving her bread
and a bottle of water. They departed into the
wilderness of Beersheba where they expected to
die. But the angel of God appeared to Hagar
r.nd gave a promise that of her child Ishmael, a
great nation should rise. This was later fulfilled
in the Mohammedans and the Arabs of today,
whose hand like Ishmael's, is against man.

When Isaac was a young man, at God's com-
mand, Abraham took him and went a three days'
journey until he saw afar off the spot that had
been revealed to him as the place of Isaac's sac-
rifice. As he was laying the wood on Isaac, the
latter asked him "Where is the lamb for the
burnt offering?" Abraham answered that God
would provide a lamb. Having built an altar,
Abraham laid Isaac on it and was about to slay
him when God interposed and a ram was offered
in his stead. As a reward for being so obedient
God renewed His covenant with him.

Sarah, Abraham's wife, died at the age of
127. Abraham bought for 40 sheckels of silver
the cave of Machpelah at Hebron from Ephron
30

BIBLE HISTORY.

the Hittite. There he buried her. And there he
was buried and all the patriarchs after him ex-
cept Joseph.

After Sarah's death Abraham sent his head-
servant Eliezer to Haran, from whence he had
come, to seek a wife for his son Isaac, as he did
not wish him. to marry any of the idolatrous
women of Canaan. Eliezer reached his destina-
tion toward evening and prayed to God to point
out a suitable person to be Isaac's wife. Rebecca,
the grand-daughter of Nahor, Abraham's brother,
came to the well to draw water. When she had
filled her pitcher Eliezer asked for a drink, which
she gave him. She also watered his camels, and
then took him to her father. Eliezer asked
him for Rebecca as the wife of Isaac. Her father
granting the request, Eliezer took her to Canaan.
Isaac was found waiting at the evening hour for
his return. She became a blessing to Isaac and
a comfort to Abraham. Abraham later married
again and finally died at the age of 175.

SECTION 2.

JACOB AND HIS SONS.
(Gen. 28—50.)

Isaac had two twin sons, Esau and Jacob,
the former a hunter, the latter a shepherd. Esau
sold his birthright, which belonged to him as the
oldest, to Jacob for a mess of lentils (beans), be-
cause he was famished when returning from a
hunting expedition. He thus showed his low ap-
preciation of its blessings. He also proved him-
self unworthy of it by marrying, to the great
grief of his father, two heathen Hittite women.
When Isaac was old and nearly blind he sent
Esau to hunt for some venison. While he was
gone, Jacob, at his mother's suggestion, went to
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BIBLE HISTORY.

Isaac disguised as Esau. To him Isaac, thinking
he was Esau, gave the birthright and the bless-
ing. Later Esau came in and the deception was
discovered. But Esau, though he wept, had lost
the birthright.

This deception by Jacob led Esau to hate
him so that his life was in danger. At his
mother's suggestion he fled from hom.e to go to
the far east, ostensibly to get a wife, but really
to get away from his brother's wrath. As he
slept at Bethel with a stone for his pillow, he
saw the vision of the ladder to heaven on which
angels were ascending and descending. God ap-
peared to him, and renewed the covenant which
He had already made with Abraham, He promised
Jacob His protection and blessing and Jacob there
dedicated himself to God. When Jacob arrived
at Haran he found two sisters, daughters of his
uncle Laban, one or whom, Rachel, met him at
the well and introduced him to her family. He
served seven years so as to gain Rachel for his
wife. But her father deceived him and (because
brides are heavily veiled there) he palmed off
her older sister Leah on Jacob and Jacob had
to serve Laban seven years more so as to gain
Rachel as his wife. ^ Jacob had twelve sons,
Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphthali,
Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph and Ben-
jamin, of whom the last two were sons of
Rachel.

Jacob having prospered greatly during his
twenty years' stay with Laban, fled toward
Canaan again. Laban hotly pursued him and
overtook him, charging him with the theft of
the household gods, which Rachel, unknown to
him, had taken along. Laban and Jacob finally
agreed to separate and Jacob continued his
journey westward to Palestine. At Mahanaim

las'

BIBLE HISTORY.

a troop of angels met him, sent to protect him.
As ne neared Canaan he heard that his brother
Esau was coming with four hundred men to meet
him. Conscience was busy with Jacob, he feared
Esau's revenge against him for having taken the
birthright from him. So for safety's sake he di-
vided his party into two bands, so that if Esau
fell on the one, the other might not be destroyed.
He himself retired for prayer. As he wrestled
with God at Peniel till break of day the angel
touched his thigh and put it out of joint, whereat
the sinew instantly shrank. As he would not let
God go till He blessed him, God blessed him
and gave him a new name, Israel, meaning "a
prince with God", instead of Jacob (supplanter).
When Esau met Jacob, it was to weep, not to
kill him. He accepted the liberal presents Jacob
made him. Esau settled at Seir, southeast of
Palestine, Jacob at Shechem in central Palestine,
where he erected an altar and bought a field in
which he dug the well of Jacob.

Jacob lived at Shechem seven years and then
went southward. Near Bethlehem his beloved wife
Rachel, died, when giving birth to Benjamin. He
then lived with Isaac at Hebron in southern Pales-
tine, where Isaac died aged i8o years.

Joseph was Jacob's favorite son which caused
his brothers to envy him. This was increased
by Jacob's gift to Joseph of the coat of many
colors, and by Joseph's two dreams. In the
first dream his brothers' sheaves bowed to his,
which stood upright. In his second dream the
sun, moon and stars did obeisance to^ him.

Jacob sent Joseph northward to his sons who
were pasturing their flocks at Dothan. When
they saw him they conspired against him. They
would have killed him, but Reuben persuaded
them to imprison him in an empty cistern. While
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BIBLE HISTORY.

Reuben was absent from them, Judah influenced
them to sell Joseph for twenty pieces of silver
to a caravan of Midianites who took him to
Egypt. Reuben, when he learned what they had
done, rent his clothes in sorrow. They dipped
Joseph's coat of many colors into the blood of a
kid and then told their father that Joseph had
been torn to pieces by a wild beast, and Jacob
mourned his son as dead.

Joseph was sold by the Midianites to Poti-
phar, a captain of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. His
faithfulness gained the confidence of his master
who made him steward over his house. But
Potiphar's wife tempted Joseph, which Joseph
indignantly refused saying, "How can I do this
great wickedness and sin against God." She then
turned against Joseph and he was cast into prison.
There too, his faithfulness led the keeper of the
prison to give him charge of the prison. The
chief baker and the chief cupbearer of Pharaoh
who were prisoners, each had a dream which
Joseph interpreted. The chief butler dreamt of
a vine with three branches full of ripe grapes
which he took and pressed into wine for Phar-
aoh's cup. Joseph interpreted it, that in three days
he would be restored to his former position as
chief butler of Pharaoh. Joseph asked him to
remember him before Pharaoh tnat he might free
him from prison. The baker dreamt he had
three white baskets on his head. In the upper
basket were baked things for Pharaoh and the
birds ate of the baskets. Joseph interpreted it
that in three days Pharaoh would hang him on
a tree and birds would eat his flesh. Both of the
interpretations by Joseph came true.

Two years passed away when Pharaoh had a
dream which made him very anxious, yet none
of his wise men could interpret it. Then the
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BIBLE HISTORY.

chief butler, who had forgotten Joseph, remem-
bered him and told Pharaoh about the interpre-
tation of his dream in prison. Pharaoh then
sent for Joseph and told him his dreams. In the first
he saw by the banks of the river Nile seven fat
and beautiful heifers feeding, but they were eaten
up by seven lean heifers. In the second he saw
seven full ears of wheat, devoured by seven thin
blasted ears. Joseph interpreted the dreams
that there would be seven years of plenty followed
by seven years of famine. He advised Pharaoh
to appoint a wise minister who would store up
a fifth part of the wheat during the seven plenti-
ful years, so as to provide against the seven years
of famine. Pharaoh appointed Joseph as prime
minister and made him ruler over all Egypt
though only thirty years old. Joseph bought up
wheat and stored it. When the famine came,
he sold it to the Egyptians so that they did not
starve.

]\leanwhile Jacob's family in Palestine was
affected by the famine. Jacob was finally forced
by it to send ten of his sons to Egypt to buy food.
Joseph recognized them. He kept Simeon in
Egypt as a hostage that they would bring Benja-
min on their next trip. They went home sur-
prised to find on the way that the money they
had given Joseph for the wheat had been re-
turned in their sacks. Finally the famine be-
came so sore that Jacob was compelled again to
send them to Egypt for food, but he refused to
let Benjamin go with them. Judah finally became
surety for Benjamin's return, and Jacob unwilling-
ly consented. Taking Benjamin with them they
went down to Egypt. Joseph had them dine with
him when he gave Benjamin five times as much
as the others. Joseph however was so overcome
by their presence that he had to seek his chamber
135

BIBLE HISTORY.

and had to weep there. They then departed, when
Joseph sent after them and had them arrested
for taking his silver divining cup. In the search
the cup was found in Benjamin's sack. They
were all brought back before Joseph. There
Judah made a most impressive plea for Benjamin.
Joseph was finally unable to control himself any
longer and revealed himself to his brethren.
He fell on Benjamin's neck and kissed them all,
forgiving them of their sin against him. Joseph
sent wagons with them to bring his father to
Egypt, giving to all rich presents. Jacob, when
he heard the news that Joseph was still alive,
would not at first believe it, but the sight of
Joseph's wagons proved to him that it was all
true. He accepted the invitation of Joseph and
went down to Egypt taking with him 66 of his
company, so that with Joseph and his two sons,
Ephraim and Manasseh, there were seventy in
the chosen family.

Pharaoh gave Jacob the land of Goshen in
northeastern Egypt. Joseph brought his father
before Pharaoh who gave a patriarch's blessing
to Pharaoh and departed to live in Goshen for
ly years longer. When about to die he gave
Joseph's two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, his
blessing. He also blessed his sons in a wonder-
ful prophecy about their descendents (Gen. chap.
49) When Jacob died at the age of 147, Joseph
embalmed his body and they made a great funer-
al as they took the body back to Canaan to be
buried at the Cave of Machpelah. Joseph lived
54 years longer, dying at the age of no. His
body was embalmed but not buried. He made
the Israelites promise that they woufd take it with
them to Canaan when they, as a nation, returned
to the promised land.

136

BIBLE HISTORY.

Chapter III.
MOSES AND THE ISRAELITES.

(1685—1451 B. C.)

SECTION I.

MOSES' EARLY LIFE.

(Ex. 1—6.)
After Joseph's death there arose a Pharaoh
who knew not Joseph or the IsraeHtes. Recent
excavations in Egpyt have revealed that a new
dynasty of kings 'came to the throne which over-
turned the shepherd-kings who had been favora-
ble to Joseph. The new Pharaoh was jealous of
the Israelites, because they had under Gods
blessing greatly multiplied in numbers. He re-
duced them to slavery and compelled them to
build his treasure cities, Pithom and Rameses
which have recently been unearthed. Pharaoh
also commanded that all the boys, born to the
Israelites, should be put to death. In this way he
hoped to prevent them from becoming powerful
against him.

Moses was born at this critical time, the son
of Amram and Jochebed, who already had two
children, Aaron and Miriam. Moses' mother hid
him for three months; and then no longer able
to conceal him, made a covered basket of papyrus
(bulrushes) and daubed it with bitumen to make
it watertight. In it she placed the child and
then placed the ark in the rushes of the river
Nile It happened that Pharaoh's daughter came
to bathe at the place where the ark was. ihe
ark was noticed by her and when it was opened
the babe wept. Though she recognized it as a
Hebrew child yet she determined to save it.
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BIBLE HISTORY.

Just at that moment Miriam, who had been
watching the ark, came and asked whether she
wanted a nurse. Her offer was accepted and she
brought Jochebed, so that his own mother be-
came Moses' nurse in Pharaoh's court. He was
called Moses (drawn out) because he was drawn
out of the water.

Moses was brought up in all the wisdom of
the Egyptians until he was 40 years old. Then he
decided to cast his lot with the Israelites rather
than with the Egyptians, "choosmg rather to
suffer affliction with the people of God than to
enjoy the pleasures of Egypt." Seeing an
Egyptian taskmaster beating a Hebrew he killed
the Egyptian. The next day when he saw two
Hebrews striving together and interfered with
them, they asked him who had made him. a prince
and a judge over them. His own people were
evidently not yet prepared to accept him as a
leader and go 'with him to the promised land.
For this killing of the Egyptian, he was compelled
to flee and went to the desert or wilderness east
of Egypt. While seated at a well the seven
daughters of Jethro, chief of the Midianites came
to water their flocks at the well but were driven
off by the other shepherds. Moses however aided
them and watered their flocks and for this Jethro
welcomed him. He remained in the wilderness
for forty years where he married Zipporah, Jeth-
ro's daughter, and had two sons, Gershom and
Eliezer.

SECTION 2.

ISRAEL'S DELIVERANCE FROM EGYPT.

(Ez. 7—13.)
Meanwhile the oppression of the Israelites be-
came so severe that their hearts turned to God
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BIBLE HISTORY.

for deliverance and God heard their cry. So God
at the end of forty years appeared to Moses
in the wilderness in the Burning Bush at
Horeb. As jMoses turned aside to see why the
bush was not consumed, God spoke to him and
bade him not to come nearer as the place on which
he stood was holy ground. God then revealed
himself to Aloses as the covenant-keeping God of
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and ordered him to
go to Egypt and release the Israelites from cap-
tivity and lead them to the Promised Land. To
remove any doubts in the minds of the Israelites
about his being their God-appointed deliverer,
Moses was directed to tell them that "I am" had
sent him.

Because Moses complained that he was not
of ready speech, his brother Aaron was appointed
to go with him as his spokesman. ]\Ioses and
Aaron then appeared before the elders of Israel
and told them God's signs to i\loses. Their
afflictions had softened their hearts and they be-
lieved.

Moses and Aaron then appeared before
Pharaoh and asked that Israel be permitted to go
into the wilderness. Pharaoh not only refused
but increased the burdens, ordering their task-
masters not to give them chopped straw any more,
so that they would lose time and strength by go-
ing into the fields to gather straw which should
hold the clay of their bricks together. God then
lea the Israelites out with a high hand, through
the Ten Plagues.

1st Plague (Blood). The river Nile was turned
into blood for seven days. The magicians of
Egypt imitated this and Pharaoh's heart was
still hardened.

2nd Plague (Frogs). Frogs came up in
countless numbers defiling everything even the
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BIBLE HISTORY,

chambers of the king. Pharaoh's magicians imi-
tated this plague. Then Pharaoh sent for Moses
promising to let Israel go. On the morrow the
frogs died and the land stank. But Pharaoh
hardened his heart and refused to let Israel go.

3rd Plague (Lice). Out of the dust came
forth lice. This the magicians of Pharaoh were
not able to imitate. But still his heart was
hardened.

4th Plague (Flies or Beetles). The air was
smitten and the land filled with flies, except in the
land of Goshen where the Israelites lived. Pharaoh
finally granted permission for them to go a three
days journey into the wilderness. But as soon
as the plague was lifted Pharaoh hardened his
heart.

5th Plague (Murrain). God sent a plague
of murrain on the beasts so that all the cattle of
Egypt died but none of the cattle of the Israelites.
Still Pharaoh hardened his heart.

6th Plague (Boils). The previous plagues
had been on animals but now God touched the
persons of the Egyptians. Moses and Aaron
sprinkled handfuls of ashes toward heaven and
boils broke out on man and beast. The
Egyptian magicians were so smitten by boils that
they could not appear before Pharaoh. But
Pharaoh still remained hardened.

7th Plague (Hail). All that were in
the field, both men and beasts, were killed by hail.
But in the land of Goshen where were the Israel-
ites there was no hail. Pharaoh promised to let
Israel go but when the plague was over he re-
fused.

8th Plague (Locusts). Moses stretched
forth his hand and locusts came, eating
up every blade of grass. Pharaoh prayed to be
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BIBLE HISTORY.

delivered from the plague but still hardened his
heart.

9th Plague (Darkness). For three days
darkness hung over Egypt, but Israel had light.
Pharaoh then granted permission for the Israel-
ites to take their families but not to take their
cattle with them. Moses refused to go without
them. Pharaoh refused and forbade IMoses to see
his face again. IMoses then prophesied the last
plague and departed from him.

loth Plague (Death of Firstborn). On the
third day of the plague of darkness the Israelites
celebrated their Passover on the fourteenth day
of Nisan, the seventh month. Each household
killed a Paschal lamb and sprinkled the lintel of
the door and the doorposts with its blood. This
feast was called the Passover because that night
the angel of death, seeing the blood on the door
of the Israelites, passed over them. They ate
the lamb roasted^ together with unleavened bread
and bitter herbs, standing with their loins girt, their
sandals on their feet, and their staff in their hands
as if about to go on a journey. After the feast
they were to eat unleavened bread seven days and
the passover was to become a perpetual feast.

At midnight the angel of death passed over
Egypt, entering every house, smiting the firstborn
with death from the lowest to the house of
Pharaoh. ^ Pharaoh at last gave way and urged
the immediate departure of the Israelites. They
went in such haste that they did not wait for
their bread to be baked, but took the dough along.
They numbered about 600,000 men, in all 2,500,000.
God guided them through the wilderness by a
cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.

The wanderings of the Israelites lasted about
forty years and are divided into three parts:

14J

BIBLE HISTORY,

1. The journey from Egypt to Sinai,

2. The journey from Sinai to Kadesh-
Barnea,

3. The journey from Kadesh-Barnea to the
Promised Land.

SECTION 3.

THE JOURNEY TO SINAI.

(Ex. 14—18.)

The Israelites marched from Rameses in the
land of Goshen, After stopping at Succoth and
Etham they found themselves on the west side of
the Red Sea at its northern end. Meanwhile
Pharaoh had changed his mind and had sent out
his army against them to force them to return.
Shut in by the sea before them and Pharaoh's
army behind them, they were in a desperate
strait. But God performed a miracle to save them
from the Egyptians. The pillar of fire went be-
hind the Israelites to protect . them from the
Egyptians. Then Moses stretched forth his rod
over the sea and its waters were divided and the
Israelites went over on dry land. The 600 char-
iots of Pharaoh's army boldly rushed after them :
but the waters returning on them, they were all
drowned. Then Miriam sang a song of rejoicing
for their miraculous deliverance.

They travelled along the east coast of the
Dead Sea south-eastward. They passed Marah,
whose bitter waters Moses sweetened, and Elim,
an oasis of palm-trees. They then entered the
wilderness of Sin. There occurred their next
trial since leaving Egypt — their unleavened
bread gave out. They murmured against God;
He sent them quails in abundance and manna
every morning except the Sabbath (but the day
before they received a double portion). At
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BIBLE HISTORY.

Rephidim, the Israelites again murmured against
Moses because there was no water. Moses struck
the rock with his rod and out of it came water.
At Rephidim the Israelites fought their first great
battle. They were attacked by the Amalekites..
While Joshua led the army, Moses stood on the
top of the hill with the rod of God outstretched.
While he held it up, the Israelites were successful ;
when he through weariness let it fall, the battle
went against them. So Aaron and Hur assisted
in holding up his weary hands so that Israel
gained the victory,

SECTION 4.

THE ISRAELITES AT MT. SINAI.

(Ex. 19—24. 31—35.)

After traveling two months the Israelites
reached Mt. Sinai in the southern part of the
peninsula of Sinai. Before it they encamped
about a year. They there went to school in the
wilderness and were taught by God. He
taught them how to worship an unseen God, — the
opposite of the awful idolatries of Egypt. God
spoke to them out of the thick cloud on the
mountain, warning Israel to purify themselves
and not to touch the mount. God gave the
ten commandments through ]\Ioses to the people
and also the precepts. (Exodus chap. 20 — 23)
which Moses wrote in a book and read to the
people. ^ JMoses was then called up into the
mountain for forty days where he was instructed
about the building of the tabernacle and other
sacrifices about to be taught to the Jews.

While Moses was up in the mountain the

Israelites, thinking he had been lost, asked Aaron

to make a golden calf. iMoses, attended

by Joshua, then came down the mountain.

143

BIBLE HISTORY.

When he saw them worshiping the golden calf,
he became very angry and broke into pieces the
stone on which the ten commandments were
written. He then destroyed the golden calf and
ground it to powder. He compelled the people
to drink the water of the stream on which he
had scattered it. After upbraiding Aaron, he
called to the tribes "Who is on the Lords side?"
and the men of his own tribe of Levi alone fol-
lowed him. He commanded them to slay all the
idolaters, which they did to the number of 3000.
For this act the tribe of Levi ever after was the
sacred tribe.

Moses again went up into Mount Sinai
where he interceded with God for the people. He
received anew the two tables of stone on which
the ten commandments were written. When he
came down from the mountain, his face shone :
so that the people were afraid to come nigh to
him and he covered his face with a veil when he
recited to them Gods commands. He then asked
for freewill offerings for the building of the
tabernacle. Two men, Bezaleel and Aholiab, skilled
workmen made the tabernacle with all its furniture
after the pattern shown to Moses in the mount.
A year after the Israelites had left Egypt, the
tabernacle was set up by Moses, who then anoint-
ed Aaron and his sons to the priesthood. The
glory of the Lord came down visibly on the
tabernacle. For a month after this, he arranged
the service of the tabernacle as given in the book
of Leviticus.

SECTION 5 *

THE TABERNACLE AND ITS FEASTS.

(Ex. 25—30. 36— Lev. 27.)

The tabernacle was surrounded by a court,

* This section may be omitted in the Bible study
144

BIBLE HISTORY.

the building being 45 feet long, 15 feet wide and
15 high. Withni it were two rooms, the Holy
Place and the Holy of Holies. In front of the
Holy Place was the great altar of burnt offering,
lYz feet square and 43^ feet high, and a brazen
laver to hold the water with which the priests
washed their hands and feet before offering the
sacrifices.

The Holy Place contained three things, the
altar of incense, the table of shew-bread and the
golden candlestick. The altar was 18 inches
by 36 inches in height. On this incense was to be
offered daily. The table of the shewbread was
3 feet long, 18 inches wide and 27 inches high.
Upon it were placed every Sabbath 12 cakes of
fine flour in two rows. The golden candlestick
had seven lamps.

The Holy of Holies was the most sacred place
of all. It contained the ark of the covenant, a
chest four feet long and a little over two feet
wide and high. On top of it over-shadowing
it, were two cherubim, whose outstretched wings
met over it. This was the mercy-seat and was
considered the place of God's peculiar presence.
In the ark were placed the tables of stone con-
taining the ten commandments. The whole
building was very expensive, costing perhaps
about a million of dollars.

Moses anointed priests to ofificiate at the
tabernacle of whom Aaron was the high priest.
They alone could offer sacrifices. The Levites
were also appointed to assist the priests.
The high priest was to enter the Holy of
Holies only once a year. The priests were to
perform the sacrifices, to keep the golden candle-
stick lit and to teach the Israelites the law of
God. The Levites were to carry the tabernacle,
keep watch over it and prepare its supplies..
10 145

BIBLE HISTORY,

The sacrifices at the temple were five: the
burnt-offering, the meat-offering, the sin-offer-
ing, the trespass-offering and the peace-offering.

1. The burnt-offering was so called, because
the whole of the animal was burnt up. The vic-
tims might be a bullock, a lamb, or young pigeons.
The burnt-offering was a sign of entire conse-
cration.

2. The meat- and drink-offering accompanied
the burnt-offering and was a sign of entire con-
secration.

3. The sin-offering was a sacrifice especially
for sins committed through ignorance.

4. The trespass-offering was also a sacrifice
for sin, but especially for known sins.

5. The peace-offering was a thanksgiving
offering. Only a part of the sacrifice was burnt
at the altar and thus offered to God. Another
part of it was taken by the priests and a third
part eaten by the giver. It was a sign of com-
munion.

The festivals were three, Passover, Pentecost
and Tabernacles. These festivals had each a
threefold significance, two to the Jews and one to
us as Christians. The first was a historic sig-
nificance ; the second, an agricultural ; the third,
a prophetic or Messianic.

The Passover was a seven day feast. Its
historical significance was that it commemorated
the departure of the Israelites from Egypt, the
"passing over" of the Angel of death, over their
homes, on the night of the passover, so that no
one was slain ; while the first-born in every
Egyptian home died. The agricultural signifi-
cance was that it occurred in April as the prophecy
of the coming harvest, when the first sheaf was
presented at the temple. Its Christian significance
146

BIBLE HISTORY.

is that it symbolized and prophesied Christ as our
Passover, The Jews roasted a lamb and ate it
with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. All
this was a type of Jesus the Lamb of God, slain
for us on Calvary.

Pentecost or the feast of weeks was a one
day feast and occurred seven weeks or fifty days
after the Passover. Its historic significance was
that it commemorated the giving of the law from
Mt. Sinai. Its agricultural significance w-as that
it was the harvest festival, when two loaves of the
first fruits of the harvest were presented at the
temple. Its prophetic or Christian significance
later was that it was the day when the Holy
Spirit was poured out on the early Christians.

Tabernacles was a seven-day feast in the
autumn. Its historic significance was that it
commemorated the journey of the Israelites
through the wilderness. They observed it by
living in booths so as to commemorate their
forefathers' dwelling in tents in the wilderness.
Its agricultural significance was that it was a
thanksgiving festival. As Pentecost was the
thanksgiving festival for the wheat-harvest, this
was a thanksgiving festival for the fruit-harvest,
it was a general thanksgiving for all the gifts of the
year. It had no prophetic or Christian signifi-
cance, except, that connected with the feast of the
tabernacles, was the day of atonement which was
observed five days before that feast and which
pointed to the great atonement of Christ on Cal-
vary. To these three great feasts there was added
the day of Atonement, when the high priest placed
his hands on the scapegoat thus laying the sins
of the people on it. It w^as then driven out into
the wilderness thus taking away the sins of the
people. The high priest after sacrificing, entered
the Holy of Holies on that day sprinkling the
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BIBLE HISTORY.

mercy-seat with blood as a sign of the remission
of the sins of the people.

In later times the Israelites added two feasts :
Purim, kept in the winter to commemorate the
way in which God preserved the Jews from de-
struction in the time of Queen Esther, and Dedi-
cation, which commemorated the rebuilding of the
temple after Judas Maccabeus had driven out the
Syrians 164 B. C.

SECTION 6.

THE JOURNEY TO KADESH BARNEA.
(Num. 1—16.)

Moses before leaving Sinai numbered the peo-
ple and found that there were 600,000 men capable
of bearing arms. The Israelites marched north-
ward for about 160 miles to Kadesh-Barnea, On
the way they murmured against Moses because
they grew tired of the manna. Moses complained
that his burdens were too heavy for him and God
directed him to choose 70 of the elders and
bring them before the tabernacle. Two of them,
Eldad and Medad, prophesied in the camp. God
then sent quails to them, of which they ate so
much that a great plague came on them at a
place called "Graves of Lust". At Hazaroth, Moses'
own family rose against him, because of the
Cushite woman he had married. But God showed
His displeasure by smiting Miriam with leprosy,
though at Moses' intercession she was healed.

At Kadesh-Barnea Moses sent twelve spies to
explore the Promised Land. They searched that
land for forty days and returned with the news
that it was indeed a land of milk and honey. Still
ten of the spies declared its inhabitants were a
race of giants, before whom the Israelites were
only grasshoppers. Two of the spies, however,
148

BIBLE HISTORY.

Caleb and Joshua opposed this discouraging re-
port. At it, the Israelites lost courage and
murmured against Moses and Aaron and were
about requesting a new captain who should lead
them back to Egypt. At this critical moment,
God appeared at the tabernacle threatening to
destroy them. At Moses' intercession He
spared them, but He declared that none of those
who rebelled should see the Promised Land.

The Israelites then wandered in the wilder-
ness for nearly forty years until all the men of
twenty years and older, who had come up out of
Egypt, had died in the wilderness as God had
said. During that time they probably wandered
about in the neighborhood of Kadesh-Barnea.
During this period, Korah, Dathan and Abiram
rose in rebellion against Moses and Aaron. The
earth opened and swallowed them and their fam-
ilies up, while fire burst forth from the tabernacle.
The people murmured at their fate and were
about rebelling against Moses and Aaron, when
God sent a pestilence among them.

SECTION 7.

THE JOURNEY TO CANAAN.
(Num. 17— Deut. 34.)

After nearly forty years of wandering, the
Israelites gathered together to enter the Promised
Land. Miriam had died, Moses and Aaron had
committed the sin, which prevented them from en-
tering the Promised Land. For when the people
murmured for water, Moses upbraided them as
rebels, saying: "Must we fetch you water out of
the rock?" He then smote the rock. For that
impatience and lack of faith, they were not per-
mitted to enter Canaan. So at God's command,
Moses took Aaron's carments from him and put

BIBLE HISTORY.

them on Eliezar, his son. And Aaron died at
Mount Hor where the Israelites mourned for him
thirty days.

While journeying in the eastern part of the
Sinaitic peninsula, they were punished for mur-
muring by fiery serpents. So Moses made a
brazen serpent upon which they looked and were
healed. (John 3: 14). The Israelites marched
northward and Moses defeated Og, the_ giant
king of Bashan, and thus gained possession of
the great region east of the Jordan.

Then Balak, king of the Moabites, who lived
southeast of Palestine became alarmed at the
victorious progress of the Israelites. He called
to his aid, a famous prophet Balaam, who lived
beyond the Euohrates, that he might curse Israel.
Balaam at first refused to come because warned
against it by God. Then Barak sent more and
higher messengers and finally with God's per-
mission, Balaam came. Three times Balaam,
to the great disappointment of Balak, found
himself unable to prophesy against Israel. Fi-
nally when Balak upbraided him, he uttered
the famous star - prophecy "there shall come
a star out of Jacob," (Num. 24: 17), thus
prophesying _ the ultimate conquest of Moab
by the Israelites and the wide extension of God's
kingdom. Unfortunately Balaam fell later. He
suggested to the Moabites to tempt the Israelites
into immorality and finally fell in battle fighting
with the Midiantes against them.

Before entering the Promised Land, Moses
permitted the tribes of Reuben, Gad and
the half tribe of Manasseh to settle east
of the Jordan. Moses, about to die, gath-
ered the Israelites together on the plains of
Moab. There he rehearsed to them God's dealings
with them since they left Egypt and repeated the
150

BIBLE HISTORY.

law, — all of which is given in the book of
Deuteronomy (which means "second law"). Moses
then went up to the top of Mt, Pisgah, east of
the Jordan river. There God gave him a view of
the Promised Land, which he was not permitted
to enter. There he died and was buried by God
in an unknown sepulcher. The Israelites mourned
for thirty days and pledged obedience to Joshua
as his successor. But no prophet ever after rose
up like unto Moses, who had seen God face to
face. Moses was great as a lawgiver, prophet and
writer.

Chapter IV.

THE CONQUEST OF CANAAN AND

THE tTmE of the JUDGES.

(1451-1171 B. C.)

SECTION I.

THE LIFE OF JOSHUA.

(Josh. 1-24.)

Joshua, who succeeded ]\Ioses as the Leader
of the Israelites, prepared to enter the Promised
Land. He sent ten spies, who entered Jericho
the walled city west of the Jordan. Rahab re-
ceived them into her house and hid them on the
roof. She let them down from the window of
her house outside the city wall. For this kind-
ness they swore to save her fami.v when the city
would be taken by the Israelites, provided she
would hang a scarlet thread out of her wmdow.
The spies then returned to Joshua, telling him
that the inhabitants were fainting with fear of the
Israelites.

15J

BIBLE HISTORY,

Joshua led the Israelites across the river
Jordan which at that time (April) overflowed its
banks. As soon as the feet of the priests that
bore the ark touched the water, the river divided.
The priests stood in the midst of the river with
the ark until the people had all passed over.
Then they took twelve stones and made a heap
in the river-bed as a perpetual memorial of the
passage of the Jordan on dry land. The Israelites
entered the Promised Land and kept the passover,
just forty years after their fathers had kept it for
the first time in Egypt. At God's command the peo-
ple were circumcised and the place was called
Gilgal. On the day after the passover, the manna
ceased and they ate of the fresh food of the land.

While Joshua was considering how to cap-
ture Jericho, he had a vision of a man with a
drawn sword — the Captain of the Lord's Host, —
who foretold the capture of Jericho and the meth-
od by which it was to be accomplished. The
Israelites marched around the city once each
day for six days bearing the ark and blowing
ram's horns. On the seventh day they marched
around it seven times. At the seventh time, they
blew the trumpets, at which the city walls fell
down and the Israelites rushed into the city.
Rahab and her household alone were spared and
she became the ancestress of David and of
Christ. The city was burned and all the spoil
devoted to the Lord.

The next conquest was the town of Ai, north-
west of Jericho. Here, however, Joshua and his
army of three thousand were at first defeated.
God revealed to him that the cause of the defeat
was the sin of the Israelites. Achan was found
to be the guilty one. He confessed that he had
secreted from the spoil of Jericho, which was all
to be devoted to God, a Babylonish garment and

15a

BIBLE HISTORY.

money, and had hidden them in the earth in his
tent. As a punishment he was burned. Then
Joshua, having thus purged Israel, again attacked
Ai and captured it, reducing it to a heap of stones.
He then marched to the centre of the Promised
Land of Shechem. There he built an altar and
read to the people the blessings and the cursings,
as Moses had commanded.

The third victory of Joshua was at Beth-
Horon. The Gibeonites, who lived northwest of
Jerusalem came to Joshua at Gilgal, pretending by
their old shoes and mouldy bread that they had
come a very great distance and belonged to a
distant tribe. They asked Joshua to make a
treaty with them which Joshua did. Three days
later the Israelites learned how the Gibeonites
had deceived them. Joshua to punish them de-
clared they should always be servants of the
Israelites, — "hewers of wood and drawers of
water". The five kings of southwestern Canaan
led by Adonibezek, formed a league against
Joshua and besieged Gibeon, whose inhabitants
appealed to Joshua for relief. Joshua, by a
forced night-march from the Jordan valley, sud-
denly fell on these enemies and defeated them at
Beth-Horon. As they fled the Canaanites were
overtaken by a hail-storm, which slew more than
had perished by the sword. Joshua commanded
the sun and moon to stand still that he might
complete their defeat. The five kings hid them-
selves in a cave and were captured, and put to
death.

The last campaign of Joshua was against the
the kings of the north whom he defeated at the
Waters of INIerom, north of the Sea of Galilee.
He thus completed the conquest of the Promised
Land. Joshua thus, by four campaigns, at Jericho,
at Ai, at Beth-Horon and at Merom conquered
153

BIBLE HISTORY.

the whole land, although a few tribes, as the Jebu-
sites at Salem (Jerusalem) still held out against
him.

The division of the land was then made by
Joshua.* Joshua received his land within
the limits of his own tribe of Ephraim
at Timnath - Serah on Mt. Ephraim. Caleb
received Hebron, according to the promise of
God made to him nearly forty years before at
Kadesh-Barnea. The body of Joseph which the
Israelites had brought out of Erypt was buried
in the plot of ground that Jacob had bought east
of Shechem in central Palestine. The Levites
were not located as a separate tribe in this distri-
bution of the land, but had 48 cities scattered
among the other tribes. Six cities of refuge were
appointed, three of them east of the Jordan and
three west of it. They were to be asylums, to
which the murderer could flee, so as to escape the
avenger of blood.

Joshua governed Israel for twenty-five years.
His last act was to gather the Israelites together
at Shechem where he led them again to conse-

* Note. East of the Jordan, Reuben had received
the southern portion, Gad was given territory north
of Reuben and the half-tribe of Manasseh north of It.
West of the Jordan Simeon received the land in the
southwest. North of it was the tribe of Judah and
north of Judah was the tribe of Ephraim. Between
Ephraim and Judah in Central Palestine was located
the little tribe of Benjamin. North of Ephraim was
the half-tribe of Manasseh, then north of that Issa-
char whose territory took in the plain of Esdraelon,
Zebul.m, Asher and Naphthall were placed north of
the plain of Esdraelon, Zebulun in the east along the
west shore of the sea of Galilee. Asher on the west
along the Mediterranean sea, and Naphthali on the
north on the southern slope of the Lebanon mount-
ains. Dan was located at first in the southwest near
Judah. But as the territory was too small, they mi-
grated to the extreme north-east beyond Zebulun. at
the sources of the Jordan river.
154

BIBLE HISTORY.

crate themselves to God and reject idolatry. He
there set up a great stone under an oak as a
witness to them, lest they should go back into
idolatry. Joshua died at his home at the age
of no.

SECTIOX 2.

THE JUDGES.
(Judg. 1.— Ruth 4.)

After Joshua's death, the Israelites for thirty
or forty years remained true to God, but the next
generation fell away into idolatry. So God per-
mitted them to be oppressed by surrounding na-
tions. But when they confessed their sin and cried
unto Him for mercy, then He would send judges
to deliver them. There were thirteen judges;*
Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah and Barak,
Gideon, Tolah, Jair, Jephthah, Ibzon, Elon, Abdon,
Eli, and Samson.

1. The first judge was Othniel, the nephew
of Caleb who delivered southern Canaan from the
king of Mesopotamia, whom they served eight
years. Under him the land had rest for forty
years. _ Caleb gave Achsah to him as his wife and
gave him also the upper and nether springs.

2. Ehud delivered the Israelites from the
oppression of the Ammonites east of Palestine
by killing their king Eglon in his summer-parlor
and then blowing a trumpet to rouse Israel.

3. Shamgar delivered the Israelites from the
Philistines who lived southwest of Palestine.
He did this with an oxgoad and slew 600 of them.

4. Barak together with Deborah delivered
them from the kings of northern Palestine led
by Jabin, king of Hazor, who had oppressed

* Note. Sometimes they are counted at fifteen, if
Abimelech and Samuel are included.
155

BIBLE HISTORY.

them twenty years. Deborah and Barak gathered
an army of the Israelites together "against Sisera
the general of Jabin's army. Barak had 10,000
men and as he marched down from Mt. Tabor,
a tremendous hail-storm came up driving right
into the faces of the enemy. The Brook Kishon
rose and swept away their chariots and horses.
Sisera fled to the tent of Jael, who gave him
curds to drink. While he slept, Jael killed him
and thus fully delivered Israel from their op-
pressors.

5. Gideon was the greatest of the judges.
The Israelites had been terribly oppressed by
the Midianites and the Amalekites for seven years.
Then an angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon
while he was threshing wheat and bade him de-
liver Israel. As he brought an offering to God,
tne angel's staff touched it and fire came out of
the rock and consumed it. Gideon, aided by ten
servants, threw down the altar of Baal of his
father at Ophrath and cut up the image of
Ashteroth (Baal and Ashteroth were the two
false gods of the Phoenicians and represented
the sun and the moon). Gideon then blew his
trumpet and gathered an army. He prayed God
to give him a sign, which God did, — a fleece of
wool was spread on his threshing floor and in
the night it was wet with dew, so that a bowl full
of water was wrung out of it, while around all
was dry. This sign was repeated but in an oppo-
site way, the fleece remaining dry while the ground
around was wet with dew. Gideon, at God's com-
mand, ordered all cowards out of his army and
out of 32,000 only 10,000 remained. Then another
test was made at the well of Harod. All who
knelt in drinking were put aside, while those who
lifted the water to their mouths and lapped like
a dog were chosen. The latter numbered only
15B

BIBLE HISTORY.

300. At nightfall Gideon and his servant stole
into the camp of the Midianites, where he over-
heard a soldier relating a dream that a cake of
barley-bread tumbled into the host of Midian and
came into a tent overturning it. The listener
then said ''it is the sword of Gideon". With
lamps, pitchers and trumpets, Gideon's army fell
upon the Midianites in the night and they fled in
a panic killing one another. The Israelites were
so grateful to Gideon for his deliverance that they
wanted to make him a king, but he refused. He
judged Israel for forty years, although he de-
clined in purity of life towards its close. Abime-
lech, his son succeeded him, but is not named as
judge. He cruelly slew Gideon's sons except
Jotham the youngest, _ who _ spoke the beautiful
parable of the trees against him (Judges 9: 7 — 21)
and cursed Abimelech. Abimelech was soon after
killed in battle at Thebez by a woman, who threw
a millstone down on his neck.

6. Tola lived at Mt. Ephraim and judged
Israel twenty-three years.

7. Jair, a native of Gilead, east of the Jordan,
ruled for twenty-two years.

8. Jephthath delivered Israel from the Am-
monites. The elders of Israel sent for Jephthah,
WHO lived east of the Jordan and prevailed on him
to become their leader. He defeated the Ammon-
ites with great slaughter. As he was returning,
he made (after the custom of his times) a rash
vow — to make the first person, who came out
to meet him an offering to the Lord. Alas his
own daughter, an only child, was the first. She
was permitted to wander in the mountains of
Gilead two months before he fulfilled his vow.
The tribe of Ephraim quarreled with Jephthah,
who defeated them at the fords of the Jordan,
the Ephraimites being discovered by their pro-

157

BIBLE HISTORY.

nunciation of the word Shibboleth (a stream) as
sibboleth. Jephthah died after ruling Israel
seven years.

9. Ibzan judged Israel ten j^ears.

11. Abdon judged Israel eight years.

12. Eli was the next judge.*

13. Samson delivered Israel from the Philis-
tines. He was the son of Manoah, who lived on
the borders of the Philistine country. He was
a Nazarite from birth (that is he practiced total
abstinence from strong drink and also led a life
of ceremonial purity). He allowed his hair to
grow long as an outward sign of his strength
and of his being a Nazarite. At his wedding to
a Philistine woman he proposed a riddle (Judges
14: 14), offering a reward for its answer. The
stupid Philistines treacherously gained the an-
swer to it from his wife. Samson became so
angry at their treachery that he slew thirty of
the Philistines and took their clothing to pay the
forfeit of the riddle. The Philistines then in re-
venge took his wife from him. Samson then tied
three-hunderd foxes, two and two with a
firebrand at their tails and left them loose in the
dry wheat-fields of the Philistines setting them on
fire and destroying their harvest. They in re-
turn burned his wife. For this he defeated the
Philistines with a great slaughter. Samson then
took refuge in the top of the rock Etam. The
Philistines went up to capture him, his own
countrymen, the men of Judah, treacherously be-
ing willing to give him up to them. He permit-
ted 3000 of them to come up and bind him pro-
vided they would not fall upon him. But the
Spirit of the Lord came upon him and he broke

* Note. See the life of Samuel In the next chap-
ter.

158

BIBLE HISTORY,

the cords like burnt flax and with the jaw-bone
of an ass he slew a thousand of them.

He judged Israel twenty years. He then went to
Gaza, one of the .Philistine cities. They shut the
city-gates expecting to catch and kill him, but he
carried the gates away. Then he fell in love with
Delilah, whom the Philistines bribed to find out
the secret of his wonderful strength. He suffered
himself to be bound three times, first with green
withes, then with new ropes and last by having
the seven locks of his hair woven to the beam of
the loom. But whenever Delilah shouted that
the Philistines were upon him, he burst his bonds.
At last, after her repeated requests, he told her
the secret of his strength and while he slept,
she cut off his seven locks of hair. The Philis-
tines fell upon him and, as he had lost his hair,
which was the outward sign of his great strength,
they were able to capture him. They put out his
eyes and made him do slaves' work, grinding in
prison at Gaza. But his hair grew again and
through his afflictions his spiritual strength also
grew. So when the Philistines held a great feast
in honor of Dagon, their fish-god, they brought
Samson to make sport for them. His strength
having returned, he pulled down the two chief
pillars of the temples and thus destroyed more
at his death than during his life.

At some period during the times of the
Judges occurred the beautiful story of Ruth.
Elimelech of Bethlehem with his wife Naomi and
their sons Mahlon and Chilion were driven by
famine to go to the country of ^loab. There they
all died except Naomi. She afterward returned
to Bethlehem accompanied by Ruth, her daughter-
in-law. While Orpah, the other daughter-in-law,
preferred to go back to Moab and its gods, Ruth
chose to cast her lot with the God of the Israelites.
159

BIBLE HISTORY.

They came to Bethlehem very poor, where Ruth
gleaned in the fields after the reapers of Boaz, her
rich relative. Ruth then appealed to Boaz to aid
her in getting the estate that belonged to Naomi's
family. Boaz consented and afterwards married
Ruth, who thus became the ancestress of our
Lord.

Chapter V.

THE MONARCHY.
(1171—975 B. C.)

SECTION I.

THE LIFE OF SAMUEL.
(1 Sam. 1—16.)

Samuel is the link between the j udges and the
kings. He was also the first of the prophets.
Hannah the wife of Elkanah had long prayed for
a son, vowing to dedicate him to the Lord. God
answered their prayers and she called his name
Samuel. She brought him to the tabernacle at
Shiloh, where Eli was high priest and judge, so
as to give him to the Lord. Eli's sons, who aided
in the temple, had terribly sinned so that God in
wrath was turned against them, and a prophet
was sent to announce to them the destruction of
the house of Eli, because he restrained not his
sons. At night God called Samuel. He, suppos-
ing it was Eli calling, replied "Here am I", and
ran to Eli. When this had occurred three times,
Eli saw that God was speaking to him. God then
told Samuel of the destruction that was coming
on Eli's house. As Samuel opened the doors of
the tabernacle that morning, Eli compelled him to
tell him what the Lord had said. This was ful-
filled soon after, for the Israelites were defeated
160

BIBLE HISTORY.

by the Philistines with great loss. It seems that
the elders of Israel had called for the ark of the
Lord to be brought to a camp so as to secure for
them a victory. It had been brought by Hophni
and Phineas, Eli's wicked sons. When the Israel-
ites were defeated, Hophni and Phineas were
slain and the ark of the Lord was captured by
the Philistines, Eli, while sitting at the gate of
Shiloh, heard the awful news and fell back dead.
He had judged Israel for forty years.

The ark was taken by the Philistines to one
of their cities Ashdod and placed in the temple
of their god Dagon as a trophy. But their idol
was found fallen on the ground before it and the
people of Ashdod were smitten with disease and
death. The Ark was sent to other cities of the
Philistines with the same awful results. Finally,
to get rid of it, they put it on a cart in which
were harnessed two oxen and sent it back to the
Israelites. It at last found a resting-place at
Kirjath-Jearim, northwest of Jerusalem, until
David took it to Jerusalem many years later.

After the Israelites had groaned under the
oppression of the Philistines for twenty years,
Samuel called them to repentance at ]\Iizpah, a
mountain northwest of Jerusalem. While they
were offering sacrifice and praying to God, the
Philistine army drew near. In answer to their
prayers, a violent thunder storm came up, which
led to the utter defeat of the Philistines. Samuel
then set up a stone "Ebenezer", saying: "Hitherto
hath the Lord helped us."

But when Samuel grew old, the desire of the
people was for a king to rule over them. Samuel
was displeased at this. He was jealous for God's
honor, because Israel had been a theocracy, that is
a nation of which God was king. But God
ordered Samuel to grant the request of the people.

11 161

BIBLE HISTORY.
SECTION 2.

THE REIGN OF SAUL.

(1 Sam, 9—31.)

Saul, of the Tribe of Benjamin, had been sent
by his father in search of his lost asses. He came to
the neighborhood of Ramah, where Samuel lived.
Saul's servant suggested to him that they go and
inquire of Samuel, where the asses might be
found. When he came to Samuel, the latter
anointed him as king, as he had been ordered to
do so by God. Saul then returned home. This
private appointment by Samuel, was later ratified
publicly by the people. They came together at
Mizpah to choose a king. Saul was chosen, but
at first could not be found, as he had hidden him-
self. When brought forth from his hiding place,
all the people shouted "God save the king". All
received him as king except a few sons of Belial.
Saul, having thus been appointed king, awaited
some event to call him forth publicly as king.
It came when Nahash, the Ammonite, marched
against Jabesh-Gilead at the eastern end of the
plain of Esdraelon. The men of that city ap-
pealed to Saul for help. He summoned Israel to
a general uprising and he found himself at the
head of 6o,ooo soldiers. The Israelites thus be-
came united under him. He destroyed the Am-
monites. Then came the final act of his coro-
nation. Samuel at Gilgal solemnly gave up the
office of judge though he still retained the office
of prophet.

The next year the Philistines with a great
army made an attack on the Israelites. Saul
gathered an army of 3000 men at Michmash, north
of Jerusalem. Jonathan, his son with only his
armor-bearer climbed the cliff at Michmash and
defeated the Philistines. This victory roused the

BIBLE History.

Israelites to throw off the yoke of the Philistines
BuTthe Philistines gathered an numense army at

Mfchmash, so that the I^'-^^l^^^,^ ^^^.^f ^.^^.^^^al
hid in the caves and tne woods. Saul was at
Uigal with the Israelite army waitmg for Sam-
uel to come and sacrifice. As Samuel did not
come Saul offered the sacrifice. He had just end-
eH when Samuel appeared. This act was Saul s
first great sin, as he had no right to sacrifice.

The victory of Saul over the Philistines xyas
followed by other victories oyer the surrounding
nations as^Ioab and Edom. Saul was ordered
to go and utterly destroy the Amalekites Ha^-
ng^gathered a large army, he pursued them with
p crreat slaughter, even to the bounds of Egypt.
hI obeyed the command to put all to death ye
spared the life of Agag their king and b rough
back the best of the cattle to G^lf ^i ,.^here Saul
orofessed to Samuel that he had fulfilled God s
Command to destroy all. Samuel asked him
ThTmeans the bleating of ^^he sheep and the
lowing of the oxen that I hear." Saul had o con-
•f ess his guilt. Samuel, brushing aside Saul s fee-
bk excuses, declared that for this his second grea
sin God had rejected him. Saul pled with Samuel
o gain fo? him God's forgiveness but Samue re-
fusld. As Samuel departed Saul laid hold of his
mantle and. as the mantle rent, Samuel said to
Sm "So shall the Lord rend the kmgdom of

'^^t/ God tad 'rejected Saul as 1<-^| Jam-^
was ordered to anoint another king of Israel. He
was told ?o go to Bethlehem and to anoint one
of the sons of Jesse. To prevent Saul from sus-
pecthig hi errand, he went as if .he were going
L sacnfice, and invited Jesse to Jom him Jesses
seven sons were made to pass before him, but
hly were all rejected of God. Jesse then sent
163

BIBLE HISTORY.

for David, the youngest son, who was away with
his flocks. Him Samuel anointed. Saul after-
wards became melancholy and his servants per-
suaded him to try the charms of music. David
was called to play the harp before the king.

The Philistines again rose against Saul. They
came up to Ephes-dammim, south-west of Jeru-
salem, having as their leader a great giant Goliath.
He was nearly eight feet tall. He challenged the
Israelites forty days to send a champion to meet
him. David, whose brothers were in the Israelite
army, happened to bring them food. He was
moved with indignation that no one was willing
to accept the challenge of Goliath, and offered to
go and fight him. When Saul reminded him of his
youth, David told him how as a shepherd-boy, he
had slain a lion and a bear, and that he believed that
the Lord, who delivered him from them, would
deliver him from the hand of Goliath. Saul put
on David his armor, but David, being unused to
it, took it off. Taking only his shepherd's sling,
he picked up five stones from the brook as he
crossed it. Goliath ridiculed him as he ap-'
proached. David replied "Thou comest with a
sword and spear but I come in the name of the
Lord of Hosts". He slung one of the stones with
his sling and it struck Goliath's forehead, so that
he fell on his face to the ground.^ David, taking
Goliath's great sword, cut off his head. The
Philistines, seeing their great champion killed, fled.

David was honored as the great deliverer of
Israel. Jonathan, Saul's son, especially loved
David as his own soul. The Hebrew women
came out to meet the conquerors, singing, "Saul
hath slain his thousands and David his ten
thousands." ^ That made Saul jealous and from
that hour his heart was against David. On the
next day Saul tv^ice cast his spear at David as he
164

BIBLE HISTORY.

sat at the royal table, but David escaped harm
David married Saul's second daughter Michal.

Saul finally told Jonathan and his servants
to kill David. Jonathan however remonstrated
with his father and David was again restored to
favor but it was only for a short time. David's
exploits in a new war with the Philistines led
Saul to nearly kill him with a spear. Saul set a
watch around David's house, but Michal saved his
life by letting him down out of a window. David
then fled to Naioth. Saul sent messengers to take
him, but being himself carried away by the Spirit
of God, Saul prophesied with the sons of the
prophets.

Jonathan agreed with David to test his father
so as to see whether David's life was safe at
court. He then gave the signal agreed upon to
David. He shot three arrows in a field and said
to the lad who went after them "The arrows are
beyond thee". This was a sign to David that
Saul was bitter against him. Jonathan then came
to David. They there wept and kissed each other,
pledging true and lasting friendship to each other.

From that time David found himself an exile,
hunted by Saul like a partridge on the mountains.
He went to Nob, where Abimelech, the high
priest, lived, together with a colony of priests.
David persuaded him to give him five loaves of
the shewbread, which only the priests were al-
lowed to eat. The high priest also gave him
Goliath's sword. This kindness to David was
witnessed by Doeg, the Edomite, who reported
it to Saul, He ordered all the priests at Nob to
be slain, only Abiather escaping to David.

From Nob David fled to Gath in Philistia

where Achish ruled. To save his life from the

Philistines, David feigned madness and scrabbled

at the gate. Cast out by Saul and by the Philis-

165

BIBLE HISTORY.

tines, David found a refuge at the cave of Adul-
(am. To him fled all who were in distress, to the
aumber of four hundred. David then sent his
parents to Moab for safety from Saul, — his
brethren having joined his band. Gad the prophet
came to him with eleven Gaddites, who swam, the
Jordan to reach him. So David had a prophet,
Gad, and a priest, Abiather, with him, while Saul
had neither prophet nor priest. David then fled
to Keilah, but on account of the treachery of the
men of Keilah, he fled to the wood of Ziph.
There he met Jonathan for the last time. Jona-
than foretold that he would be king and they re-
newed their covenant to be faithful to each other.

David then fled to Maon, where Saul's pur-
suit of him was so close that he would hard-
ly have escaped had not an invasion of the Philis-
tines called Saul away. When Saul came back,
David and his men were hid in the cave at Engedi,
in southeastern Palestine. Saul entered the cave.
David's men urged him to kill Saul, but David
would not raise a hand against him because he
was the Lord's anointed. David cut off the
skirt of Saul's robe. Afterward he followed Saul
at a distance showing him the part of his skirt
as a proof that he did not want to kill him as
Saul had supposed. David made a pathetic ap-
peal, protesting that he had done him no wrong.
Saul burst into tears and acknowledged his sin
against David, even prophesying that David
would become king and made him swear that he
would not cut off his name and house. Saul then
gave up pursuing David.

Meanwhile Samuel died. Then David went
southward to the wilderness of Paran, where
Nabal, a wealthv farmer, lived. At the tjme of
sheepshearing. David asked him for a contribution
of food which Nabal contemptuously refused.
166

BIBLE HISTORY.

David was about to take revenge, when Abigail,
Nabal's wife, came to him with presents, which
moUified David. Ten days after Nabal died, and
David later married Abigail.

Saul's evil spirit again laid hold on him and
he pursued David with 3000 men led by Abner.
David came upon Saul sleeping in a trench. But
he would not kill him, though he took the spear
and cruse of water that were beside Saul's pillow.
This David afterward showed to Saul to prove
that he had again spared his life. Saul again
acknowledged his guilt in pursuing David and
went home. David then went again to Achish,
king of Gath, who gave him Ziklag for his resi-
dence. When Achish went up to fight against
Saul, David as his ally was to have gone along
to aid him, but a Providence prevented him from
being thus drawn into a war against his own
people.

Meanwhile Saul's death occurred: Forsaken
of God, Saul was in despair. His army was at
Mt. Gilboa in the eastern part of the plain of
Esdraelon. The Philistines were encamped
against him west of this. Saul in his extremity,
went disguised to the witch of Endor and asked
her to bring up Samuel. She professed to see
Samuel rising from the dead, who foretold Saul's
death, at which news Saul fell prostrated on the
earth through fear and exhaustion. The next
day Saul's three sons, Jonathan among them,
were killed in battle. Saul, mortally wounded
by the Philistine archers, begged his armor-
bearer to kill him. As he refused, he fell on his
own sword, and thus died. The bodies of Saul
and his sons were treated with great indignities
by the Philistines, but the men of Jabesh-Gilead,
who remembered Saul's deliverance of them,
took them to Jabesh-Gilead and burnt them.
167

BIBLE HISTORY.

David, when the news of Saul's death came to
him, burst forth into the exquisite eulogy,
(2 Samuel, chapter i).

SECTION 3.

THE REIGN OF DAVID.

(2 Sam— 1 Kings 1.)

As Saul was dead David publicly assumed
the position of king, although Abner, Saul's
general set up Ishbosheth, Saul's son, as king at
Mahanaim east of the Jordan. David made
Hebron in southern Palestine his capital. Thus
there was a division in the kingdom, but David
gained continually and Ishbosheth lost until finally
Abner went over to David's side. But Joab,
David's general, jealous of Abner, murdered him
at the gate of Hebron, because Abner had killed
Joab's brother Asahel in battle. David mourned
for Abner. Ishbosheth was soon after slain by
two of his captains. The only representative re-
maining of Saul's family was Mephibosheth,
Jonathan's son who was lame. David cared for
him as a prince at him own table as he had cove-
nanted with Jonathan to do.

All the twelve tribes now acknowledged
David as king and he was publicly anointed king
at Hebron. Having become great with an army
of 337,000 men beside the tribe of Issachar, he
determined to have a capital for his nation. He
therefore sent Joab to attack Salem (Jerusalem)
which the Jebusites still held. Joab's bravery
in scaling the wall led David to make him chief-
captain of his army. David, having made Jeru-
salem his capital, ordered the ark of God to be
brought from Kirjath-Jearim to Jerusalem. As
it shook on the oxcart, Uzzah, fearing it might
fall, touched it and was punished with death.
168

BIBLE HISTORY.

The ark was therefore not brought any farther,
but was left at the house of Obed-Edom for
three months, who was greatly blessed by its
presence. Then it was taken to Jerusalem m
solemn procession, David dancing for joy before
the ark.

David desired to build a temple to the Lord,
but God through Nathan, the prophet, told him
that his son should build it. David hav-
ing thus established the worship of God was
greatly blessed. His kingdom was enlarged until
it reached far east to the Euphrates river.

But David's prosperity proved a snare. He
was tempted to adultery with Bathsheba. Be-
cause of this, sorrow came to his home. Nathan
the prophet, by telling the exquisite parable of
the ewe-lamb (2 Sam. 12: i— 14) denounced his
sin and told David that as a punishment the
sword would never depart from his house. David
confessed his sin before God in the wonderful
fifty-first Psalm. But his repentance did not save
him from the awful consequences of his sin.
From that day increasing trouble came to his
house. Absalom, his oldest son, slew his brother
Amnon. David's wrath against Absalom com-
pelled him to flee to Geshur where he remained
three years. Then at Joab's request David again
permitted Absalom to return to Jerusalem. There
for two years Absalom ingratiated himself into
the hearts of the people, until the people were
ripe for rebellion against David.

When David heard of Absalom's rebellion,
he fled from Jerusalem eastward over the Mount
of Olives weeping as she went. From there he
sent Hushai, his faithful counsellor back to
Absalom, to pretend to be his friend and yet try
to defeat his plans. Shimei, a member of Saul s
169

BIBLE HISTORY.

house cursed David as he fled, throwing stones at
him. David crossed the Jordan and took refuge
with Barzillai. Meanwhile Absalom had entered
Jerusalem. Ahithophel, his counsellor, urged him
lo Hasten and attack David before he could gather
his army together. But Hushai appealed to
Absalom's pride, that if he waited, he could go
out against David with greater splendor. Absa-
lom accepted Hushai's advice which led to his
ruin. Ahithophel at once gave up the cause and
went out and hanged himself.

Absalom, after waiting to be anointed as
king, went out after his father with an army.
At Mt. Gilead, David's army, under his three
generals, Joab, Abishai and Ittai, met Absalom's
army. David at their request, remained at Ma-
hanaim, but he gave commandment to them to
deal gently with Absalom. Absalom's army was
overthrown with a loss of 20,000 men. As Absa-
lom fled, riding on a mule, the branches of an
oak caught his luxuriant hair. His ass went out
from under him leaving him hanging there.
Joab, coming along, thrust three javelins through
his heart. He then sent word to David, who was
waiting at the gate of Mahanaim for news. When
David learned of the death of Absalom he went
up to the chamber over the gate wailing with
breaking heart, "O Absalom, my son Absalom,
would God I had died for thee". After this vic-
tory, the Israelites gradually returned to David.

In David's last years Adonijah, his son, tried to
cause another rebellion like Absalom's. But David
quickly had Solomon, his son, crowned, and the
rebellion collapsed. Just before he died, David
sent for Solomon and charged him to keep God's
laws. He was buried at Jerusalem after reigning
forty years.

170

BIBLE HISTORY.
SECTION 4,

THE REIGN OF SOLOMON.
(1 Kings 1—12.)

Solomon's reign marks the climax of Israels
prosperity. Like Saul ^nd his father, Solomon
reigned for forty years. On account of the great-
ness of his kingdom, Solomon began living in
great magnificence, his throne being of ivory and
gold. Solomon was also a literary genius. He
spoke 3000 proverbs. He was also a great builder.
He built the temple, the palace at Jerusalem and
the wall around Jerusalem.

David had collected materials for the building
of the temple. Hiram, king of Tyre aided Solo-
mon to build it. Cedars and fir-trees were floated
from Tyre to Joppa and taken to Jerusalem. So
carefully were all the materials prepared that no
sound of ax or hammer was heard in the building.
The arrangement of the temple was the same as
that of the tabernacle only double its size in each
part. (See chapter III, section 5). But a
larger court was laid out around the building,
which was divided into two parts, the inner being
the court of the priests, the outer, the court of thf^
Gentiles. Solomon built the temple in seven and
a half years and dedicated it at the feast^ of the
tabernacles 1005 B. C. During the dedication, the
Shekinah, or cloud of God's presence, came down
as the sign that God accepted the temple. Solo^
mon, from a great platform of brass, offered the
prayer of dedication (i Kings 8: 12 — 66). Fire
came down from heaven and consumed the offer-
ing. Four years later Solomon completed hi?
palace. He also had a summer palace at Lebanon
in the north and a park south of Jerusalem in
which are laid the scenes of the Song of Solomon.

His ships went as far west as Tarshish
171

BIBLE HISTORY.

(Spain?) and east to India. His fame became so
great that the Queen of Sheba came from the
south to see his glory and try his wisdom with
hard questions. But she confessed that the half
haa not been told her.

But Solomon's prosperity proved dangerous.
Like all oriental kings, he thought that polygamy
was necessary to magnificence. With polygamy
came idolatry as he married into heathen royal
families. These things only brought new troubles.
Some of the tributary kingdoms rebelled.
Jeroboam a member of the rival tribe of Ephraim,
was anointed by the prophet Ahijah to be the
next king. The old jealousy between the tribes
of Ephraim and Judah threatened to break out
again as Jeroboam belonged to the former and
Solomon to the latter. It has been supposed
that the book of Ecclesiastes marks the return
of Solomon to God in his later years after having
learned the vanity of things earthly. Solomon
died and was succeeded by his son Rehoboam.

Chapter VL

THE DIVIDED KINGDOM.
(795-586 B. C.)

SECTION I.

INTRODUCTORY.

The storm, that was brewing before Solomon
died, broke out after his death. At the national
convention at Shechem, the tribe of Ephraim
leading the northern tribes, asked that the op-
pression under Solomon be made lighter. Re-
hoboam lacked discretion. Instead of listening
172

BIBLE HISTORY.

to his older counsellors he was guided by his
young men. Instead of trying to pacify those
tribes, he threatened them by saying "Aly father
chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you
with scorpions". At once Ephraim raised the cry
of revolt "To your tents O Israel". Rehoboam
was almost mobbed but escaped to Jerusalem.
Jeroboam, who had been brought back from
Egypt, whither he had fled from Solomon, was
made king of the ten northern tribes. His king-
dom was known as the kingdom of Israel, while
the two southern tribes, Judah and Benjamin, un-
der Rehoboam were called the kingdom of Judah.

Rehoboam called out his men of war, 180,000
to quell the rebellion of Jeroboam. There was
danger of an awful civil war. But the prophet
forbade it. Henceforth the two kingdoms, Israel
on the north and Judah in the south lived side
by side for about 200 years (915 — 721 B. C).
Then the northern kingdom was destroyed by the
Assyrians. The southern kingdom continued
about 150 years longer (721 — 586 B. C). For
sixty years there was hostility between the two
kingdoms as the southern kingdom hoped again
to get control of the northern kingdom. Aftef
that they came to a close alliance owing to the
intermarriage of the ruling families by Jehosaphat.
This alliance lasted for forty years till Jehu's
time. Then each kingdom gradually fell, owing
to its wickedness and to the increasing power of
neighboring kingdoms of Assyria and Babylon.

The history of this period divides itself into
three parts :

I St. The age of Elijah.

2nd. The age of Elisha.

3rd. The fall of the northern kingdom*

* Note. The list of the kings is as follows: Ol
173

BIBLE HISTORY.

In all there were nineteen kings of Israel in
215 years in nine dynasties, and twenty of Judah
in 351 years, all of one dynasty, the line of David.

SECTION I.

THE AGE OF ELIJAH.
(1 Kings 13—2 Kings 2.)

Rehoboam reigned over Judah for seventeen
years, Jeroboam reigned over the northern king-
dom twenty-two years. Jeroboam has come down
to us in Old Testament history as the man
"who made Israel to sin". To prevent his people
from going to Jerusalem to worship in the temple
and thus being weaned away from allegiance to
him, he set up two golden calves, one in the
southern part of his kingdom at Bethel, the other
in the far north-east at Dan. For this he was
cursed by God, and cast out, his hand was tempo-
rarily withered and his son soon died, to be
followed by himself.

The first important king of Israel was Ahab,
the seventh king. He introduced a worse idola-
try than Jeroboam's — the worship of the Phoeni-
cian gods, Baal, the sun-god and Astarte, the
moon-god with all their immoral rites performed
under the guise of religion. The priests of Baal,
450 in number, together with 400 of the prophets
of the groves were fed at the table of Jezebel, the
wife of Ahab. The prophets of God were put to
death except a hundred, who were hid in a cave
and fed by Obadiah Ahab's governor. So great

Judah: Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa, Jehosaphat, Jeho-
ram Ahaziah, Athaliah (a queen), Joash, Amaziah,
Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Anion,
Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoikim, Jehoiachin and Zedekiah.
The kings of Israel were: Jeroboam, Nadab, Baasha,
Elah, Ziniri, Omri, Ahab, Ahaziah, Jelioram, Jehu,
Jehoahaz, Jehoash, Jerobeam II, Zachariah, Shallum,
Menahem, Pekahiah, Pekah and Hoshea.
174

BIBLE HISTORY.

was the declension in piety, that only about 7000
were left, who had not bowed the knee to Baal.

In the tenth year of Ahab's reign, Elijah, the
prophet appears. He was from Gilead, the coun-
try east of the Jordan and first appears at the
brook Cherith near Jericho, where, hidden from
Ahab, he was fed by ravens until the brook dried
up. Then he was sent far to the north-west to
the heathen city of Zidon, where he miraculously
replenished the poor widow's last handful of
meal and last drop of oil and recalled her son to
life.

After the great drought, sent by God on
Israel because of its sin, had lasted three and a
half years, God bade Elijah show himself to
Ahab. He challenged Ahab to a contest between
the two religions. This took place at Mt. Carniel
on the west coast of Palestine. There were 450
prophets of Baal in the one side and only Elijah
on the other. Elijah gave them the first chance.
They tried to call down fire from heaven on their
bullock laid on the altar. This they did all day
till the hour of evening sacrifice (about 3 P M).
But no fire appeared, their god did not answer.
Then Elijah began to prepare for his offering.
He took water and poured it on the bullock laid
on his altar and prayed and lo, fire came from
heaven and burned up the altar and the water as
well as the bullock. Elijah's God had conquered.
He then took the prophets of Baal down the
mountain to the brook Kishon and there put
them all to death. Elijah then returned to the
top of Carmel and agonized in prayer for rain.
He sent his servant to the top of the mountain
seven times, and the seventh time when he re-
turned he told Elijah that he saw a cloud as big
as a man's hand. Elijah then warned Ahab of
175

BIBLE HISTORY.

the great rain that was about to come. And as
Ahab hastened eastward to his capital Jezreel,
sixteen miles away, Elijah ran before his chariot.
As they went the rain flooded the plain of
Esdraelon over which they traveled.

But though Elijah had destroyed the priests of
Baal, Jezebel,their patron, rose against Elijah and
he fled to the far south At Beersheba under a
juniper tree he was so discouraged that he prayed
the Lord to take his life. But God cheered him
by sending him an angel and food. He then went
to Mt. Horeb where he spent forty days. There
God revealed Himself to him not in the wind or
the earthquake or fire but in connection with the
still small voice. As he stood forth to receive
God's message, God told him to go and anoint
Elisha to be prophet in his stead, also to anoint
Jehu as king of Israel in Ahab's place, and Hazael
to be king over Syria, the kingdom northeast of
Israel.

Ahab greatly desired to get possession of the
vineyard of Naboth at Jezreel, His wife formed
a plot with the elders and brought charges against
Naboth^ so that he was stoned to death. Ahab
thus gained possession of the vineyard. But just
as he was about taking it, Elijah appeared and
cursed Ahab and Jezebel and their family because
of their sin.

Ahab was killed in battle with Benhadad,
king of Syria. Meanwhile Elijah had thrown
his prophet's mantle over Elisha as he was plough-
ing in the field with twelve yoke of oxen, thus
making him successor as prophet. Finally as
Elijah and Elisha were walking together, Elijah
prophesied that he would be taken to heaven. _ He
asked Elisha if he had a request to make. Elisha
asked for a double portion of his spirit. They
176

BIBLE HISTORY.

passed over Jordan on dry land. Elijah was
suddenly caught up to heaven in a whirlwind of
fire, letting, however, his mantle fall on Elisha
as a pledge that his request was granted. "

SECTION 2.

THE PERIOD OF ELISHA.

(2 Kings 2—9.)

Three kings appear prominently in this period,
Jehu in the northern kingdom, and Jehosaphat
and Joash in the southern. Jehosaphat became
king when Ahab was on the throne. He was a
pious king and Judah prospered under his rule.
But unfortunately he was led to make an unholy
alliance with the idolatrous Ahab against Syria,
who defeated them. Then the Moabites and Am-
monites rose against his authority but he defeated
them. He attempted to revive the great foreign
commerce that Solomon had had with the far east
through the Red Sea. But his ships were
wrecked at Ezion-Geber on the eastern arm of
the Red Sea.

Jehoram was the second king of Israel after
Ahab. Elisha made his public appearance during
his reign. As Elisha returned from the
acsension of Elijah he was mocked by the children
at Bethel and two bears came out of the wood
ana ate up forty-two of them. Elisha, during a
famine multiplied the widow's oil and raised the
sen of the Shunamite woman and saved the sons
of the prophets from being poisoned by the deadly
pottage.

Naaman, a general of Damascus, learning
through a captive maid of Israel that there was a
prophet in Israel who could heal leprosy, came to
Elisha. Elisha told him to go to the river Jordan and
wash himself seven times. Naaman became very

12 177

BIBLE HISTORY.

angry because Elisha did not honor him by com-
ing out and speaking to him personally. He at
first refused to go to the Jordan, saying "Are not
Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better
than all the waters of Israel". But urged by his
servants he went to the Jordan, bathed and came
back to Elisha, healed. Elisha's servant Gehazi,
for taking a gift from Naaman after Elisha had
refused it, was cursed with leprosy.

Benhadad, king of Syria, when he learned
that through Elisha, his secret plans were made
known to king Jehoram, sent an army to capture
Elisha. It found him at Dothan. When Elisha's
servant saw this army surrounding them, he
was greatly frightened. But Elisha opened his
eyes and he saw the mountains full of chariots
and horsemen, the angels of God. Elisha then led
the Syrian host blinded to his king.

Jehu was the next king to Jehoram. Having
been anointed king of Israel he drove furiously to
Jezreel. There he met Jehoram at the site of
Naboth's vineyard and slew him casting his body
to the dogs. Jezebel, his wicked mother, was
thrown to Jehu by her servants and the dogs
ate her body. Jehu had Ahab's seventy sons put
to death, thus destroying Ahab's dynasty. Thus
Elijah's prophecy was fulfilled.

On his way to Samaria, Jehu met Jonadab,
the founder of the Rechabite sect, who still re-
mained true to God and who believed in total
abstinence' from liquor. Jehu took Jonadab up
into his chariot to show him his zeal for the
Lord. Jehu then invited the worshipers of Baal
to a great feast and put them all to death. He
destroyed idolatry and reigned twenty-eight years.
But toward last he inclined toward idolatry and
God sent Hazael, king of Syria, to punish him by
overrunning his country.
178

BIBLE HISTORY.

While the kingdom of Israel so rapidly went
into idolatry, the kingdom of Judah became idola-
trous more slowly. This was due to the fact that
it had the temple, where the worship of the true
God was preserved. Still idolatry entered.
Ahaziah the sixth king of Judah married Athaliah
the daughter of Ahab and a rival of Jezebel in
wickedness. The worship of Baal and Astarte
was introduced. On the death of Ahaziah,
Athaliah assumed the throne reigning six years.
She had all the royal family put to death except
Joash, a babe, who was hidden by his aunt, the
wife of Jehoiada the high priest. When Joash
was seven years old the priests and the Levites
rose against Athaliah and put her to death. They
then placed Joash, though a boy on the throne.
For twenty three years under the pious influence
of Johoiada, he remained true to God. But later
idolatry was introduced again by the princes of
Judah, who persecuted the prophets, stoning
Zachariah, Jehoiada's son to death between the al-
tar and the temple.

SECTION 3.

THE DECLINE OF THE NORTHERN

KINGDOM.

(2 Kings 10—15.)

Under Jehu the northern kingdom under-
mined by idolatry, began to prosper again and it
reached its climax later under Jeroboam II, the
thirteenth king, who reigned longer tnan any other
king of Israel, forty one years. During his reign
the Minor Prophets began to appear. Jonah,
who tried to disobey God's command to go to
Nineveh, was swallowed by a fish, and then mi-
raculously delivered. He went to Nineveh,
warned it of its impending destruction. But it
179

BIBLE HISTORY.

repented and was saved. King after king
follow each other in rapid succession in the
northern kingdom. All the while the great empire
of Assyria was becoming greater in the east, pre-
paring to destroy Israel. It was now too late
to save the northern kingdom. It had rotted un-
der its idolatry. God's favor had been lost.
The Assyrian came down like a wolf on the fold.
First the tribes east of the Jordan had been car-
ried away captive, Reuben, Gad and the half
tribe of Manasseh by Tiglath Pileser. Shal-
maneser IV. made the northern kingdom tribu-
tary. And when Hoshea, the last king refused to
pay tribute, Shalmaneser threw him into prison
and besieged Samaria for three years. During
that time Shalmaneser died and his successor
Sargon carried Israel away captive to Mesopota-
mia and colonized northern Palestine with other
races. The ten tribes were so completely blotted
out that they have never been certainly found.
So it is with those that forget God.

SECTION 4.

HISTORY OF THE SOUTHERN KINGDOM.
(2 Kings 15—25.)

The southern kingdom lasted about 140 years
longer than the northern kingdom. During the
period of the northern kingdom, Judah had a few
good kings. But it was during its later history,
especially the reign of Hezekiah and Josiah, that
its piety shone.

Hezekiah's father, Ahaz, had been a wicked
king, subject to Assyria. He had cut into pieces
the sacred vessels of the temple and sent them to
Assyria. He closed the temple and allowed
heathen altars to be set up in the streets of Je-
180

BIBLE HISTORY.

fusalem. He himself set up an altaf patterned af-
ter one at Damascus.

But this king had a good son, Hezekiah, who
changed everything in the first year of his reign.
He reopened the temple and kept the passover
again. He so zealously destroyed the idols that
even the brazen serpent, that had come _ down
from Moses' time, he destroyed because_ it had
become an idol of the people. During his reign
he was ably supported by a number of the
prophets, as Micah, Hosea, Nahum and especially
Tsaiah, who was a statesman as well as a prophet.
When Hezekiah was sick unto death and turned
his face to the wall and prayed, God heard his
prayers and added fifteen years to his life, giv-
ing him as a sign the going back of the sun's
shadow ten degrees on the dial. Sennacherib,
the king of Assyria attacked Hezekiah in his war
with Egypt. He captured the fenced cities of Ju-
dah and finally after pressing the siege of Lachish
he sent three officers to summon Hezekiah to
surrender. Hezekiah laid their letter before the
Lord in prayer and Sennacherib's army was
smitten by the angel of God with awful slaughter.
Thus Jerusalem escaped surrender.

Good Hezekiah was succeeded by Manasseh.
-Under him idolatry increased until now for the
first time an idol was set up it the^ temple itself.
When the prophets denounced this, Manasseh
persecuted them most severely, probably sawing
Isaiah asunder. So great was the persecution,
that for a whole generation, the prophets seem to
have been silent. But captivity at Babylon
brought Manasseh to repentance and he came
back and repaired the defences of Jerusalem.

Josiah was the next good king. LJKe Joash,
he became king when a boy, — only eight years
181

BIBLE HISTORY.

old. By Zephaniah, Jeremiah and Habakkuk the
prophets, the awful decline of Judah is revealed
in their books. Then the book of the law was
discovered in the temple by the high priest.
When it was read before Josiah and the people,
it led to a new revolt against idolatry. Josiah
held a solemn assembly and when eighteen years
of age kept the greatest passover since Moses' time.
But the efforts of Josiah came too late. Idolatry
had already undermined the kingdom too far to
save it. He was mortally wounded in a battle
against the Egyptians.

Under the four remaining kings, Judah rapid-
ly declined. Nebuchadnezzar, the king of the
rising kingdom of Babylon in the east carried
away the vessels of the temple to Babylon and
also carried into captivity many of the Jews, as
Daniel and the three Hebrew children, Shadrach,
Meshach and Abednego. When the last king,
Zedekiah joined himself with Egypt against Baby-
lon, Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem. He
took Zedekiah to Riblah and put out his eyes.
He then carried him to Babylon, where he died.
Jerusalem was destroyed and^ the temple burned.
The miserable remnant left in the land, among
them Jeremiah who had wept out his soul in
tears over the sins and sorrows of his people,
was afterward carried to Egypt. Thus fell the
southern kingdom under the power of Babylon
just as the northern kingdom had fallen under
Assyria. The cause of the fall of both kingdoms
was sin and idolatry. Only when righteous, can
a nation live and expect God's blessing.

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BIBLE HISTORY.

Chapter VII.
THE CAPTIMTY AND THE RES-
TORATION.

(586-400 B. C.)

SECTION I.

THE CAPTIVITY OF BABYLON.
(Ezek. 1—48. Dan. 1—12.)

There was really two captivities. The first
colony of captives was carried away in the reign
of the eighteenth king, Jehoiakim, when Daniel
and his companions were carried off. About twenty
years later, the rest of the Jews were carried
away. This is sometimes called the second cap-
tivity. The captivity lasted seventy years, be-
ginning with the beginning of the first captivity.
The_ two great prophets of the captivity were
Daniel and Ezekiel ; Daniel was the interpreter
of dreams, Ezekiel the man of visions.

Daniel refused to drink wine and gained per-
mission that he and his young Hebrew com-
panions, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be
allowed to live without eating pulse and drinking
wine. At the end of ten days they were in better
health than the rest of the children of the king.
They, especially Daniel, grew in wisdom and in
favor with the king. Nebuchadnezzar dreamed a
dream of the great image destroyed by the stone
but forgot the dream. As he was a very super-
stitious idolater, he was greatly troubled about"
it. His own wise men were unable to reproduce
the dream so he ordered them to be slain. Then
Daniel went to the king and revealed to him his
dream and interpreted it. For this the king made
him ruler over Babylon. Later the king dedi-
183

BIBLE HISTORY.

cated a golden image. Because Shadrach,
Meshach and Abednego did not worship it, they
were cast into the fiery furnace. But God de-
livered them from harm to the king's great aston-
ishment. Nebuchadnezzar's next dream was of a
tree._ This his wise men could not interpret.
Daniel interpreted it that he would become insane,
believing that he was a beast and eating grass
like an ox, which came to pass.

Belshazzar, the next in rank to the
king made a great feast at Babylon. In a
drunken frenzy he ordered the sacred vessels of
the temple at Jerusalem to be used at his
revel and thus desecrated. Then a hand ap-
peared and wrote on the wall of his palace.
His wise men were unable to interpret this writ-
ing. So Daniel was brought in. He said it de-
clared the destruction of Babylon. For this in-
terpretation he was made the third ruler of the
kingdom. That night Belshazzar was slain and
Darius the Mede conquered in Babylon. Daniel
was as much honored by these conquerors as he
had been before. Cyrus made him chief of the
presidents. But they conspired against him and
secured a decree from the king that no man
should ask a petition but of the king for thirty
days. Daniel, for praying to his God with his
face toward his holy city, Jerusalem, was cast
into a den of lions. But God shut the lion's
mouths. The king, astonished at his deliverance,
gave a decree favorable to the true God. Daniel
had other visions as of the four beasts, of the
ram and of the he-goat. But his most important
prophecy was of the seventy weeks, thus foretell-
ing the time of Christ's coming, just as the
prophet Micah had foretold the place of His birth,
and Isaiah foretold of His sufferings. Is. 53:
3—9, Mic. 5:2),

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BIBLE HISTORY.
SECTION 2.

THE RESTORATION.
(Ezra I— 10. Neh. 1—13. Esther 1—10.)

Through the decree of Cyrus, the Jews began
to return to Palestine. The first caravan num-
bered about 42,360. They rebuilt the city of
Jerusalem and laid the foundation of the second
temple which is usually called the temple of
Zerubbabel, being named after the governor at
Jerusalem at that time. The people greatly re-
joiced at the rebuilding of the temple, but the
older Jews who remembered the first temple of
Solornon wept, because is was so much inferior
to it in splendor.*

During the reign of Ahasuerus, king of Per-
sia, occurred the beautiful story of Queen Esther.
She was a captive Jewish maiden, who was made
queen by the king in place of Vashti. Haman,
his minister, being very angry at Mordecai, be-
cause he would not do obeisance to him, went to
the king and obtained a decree that all the Jews
should be put to death. Mordecai made known to
Esther, his cousin, this danger of his people and
appealed to Esther to intercede for her nation.
At the risk of her life she goes in before the king.
He holds out to her the golden sceptre and grants
her request. He then hangs Haman on the gal-
lows Haman had built for ^Mordecai. But as the
laws of the Medes and Persians were irrevocable,
the king could not revoke the decree against the
Jews. He could only command the Jews every-
where to defend themselves. Thus the Jewish
nation was saved from destruction by Esther's
intercession.

* Note, There were three temples at Jerusalem.
Solomon's built 1006 B. 0. Zerubbabel's built 535 B. O.
and Herod's built 18 B. O.

185

BIBLE HISTORY.

The second caravan from the east to Jeru-
salem came sixty years after the first. It num-
bered 1596 men beside a number of priests. Ezra
the scribe was its leader. Twelve years later,
Nehemiah, the cupbearer of the king, hearing
that the wall of Jerusalem was broken down and
its gate burned with fire, became greatly grieved
at the condition of the sacred city. The king,
noticing his sad countenance, inquired the reason,
and then gave him permission to go to Jerusalem.

When Nehemiah arrived at Jerusalem, he
called together the people in order to rebuild the
walls. In this he was opposed by Sanballat, a
Moabite and Tobiah, an Ammonite, the former
sending a letter to Nehemiah ridiculing his work.
But Nehemiah pushed forward the work, the
workmen laboring even under arms as Sanballat
had threatened to attack them. Each built oppo-
site his own house until in fifty two days the re-
building of the walls was finished.

The Jews then had a great religious festival.
Ezra read the Scriptures from a pulpit and six
Levites on his right hand and seven on his left
interpreted the meaning to the people. Thus at
the feast of the tabernacles and the day of atone-
ment, they dedicated the walls of the city. But
abuses crept into the city. Even a grandson of
the high priest married a daughter of Sanballat.
Tobiah was allowed to use the chambers of the
temple as a store-house. So Nehemiah gathered the
people together, reproved the rulers, and compelled
the people to bring in tithes. He rebuked the
nobles for their desecration of the Sabbath and
shut the city-gates against Sabbath-breaking.
His last reform was that of mixed marriages of
the Jews with the heathen around, and he de-
posed the high priest's grandson for marrying
the daughter of Sanballat.
186

BIBLE HISTORY.

The effect of the Captivity of the Jews was
to make them lose their previous tendency to
idolatry. They became ever after the bitter foes
of all idolatry. A second important result was
the organization of the synagogue while they were
in captivity. As they no longer had a temple,
in which to worship, they founded a synagogue in
each place. These were destined in the New
Testament to greatly aid the spread of Christiani-
ty. Finally Malachi closed the Old Testament
with his prophecy about 400 B. C.

Between the Old and the New Testaments
is a period of about 400 years. During that time
the Jews passed under three different govern-
ments.

ist. The Persian, which continued till about
331 B. C

2nd. The Greek, under Alexander the Great
and his successors lasting till 167 B. C. The
Jews then gained their freedom under their great
general Judas Maccabeus.

3rd. The Roman, which lasted from 6z B. C.
to 70 A. D.

187

BIBLE HISTORY.

Part II.

The New Testament.

Chapter I.

THE LIFE OF JESUS.

(4 B. C. — 30 A. D.)

SECTION I.

HIS EARLY LIFE.

The Old Testament closed with the word
"curse", the New Testament begins with a bless-
ing. "The Old Testament is the New Testament
concealed, the New Testament is the Old Testa-
ment revealed."

Of the life of our Saviour, we have four ac-
counts, in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke
and John. Matthew wrote mainly for the Jews
and is full of references to the Old Testament.
Mark wrote mainly for the Romans, trying to
make an impression on them by Christ's miracles
and mighty works. Luke wrote mainly for the
Greeks, describing the beauty of his teachings.
John wrote for the whole world — a supple-
mentary gospel. Matthew especially reveals Jesus
as the Messiah of the Old Testament. Mark re-
veals Him as king. Luke reveals His as the
Son of Man ; John as the Son of God.

John the Baptist was the forerunner of our
Lord. His father, Zachariah, was serving as
priest in the temple at Jerusalem when the angel
Gabriel appeared to him, announcing that his
wife Elizabeth should bear a son and that he
should call his name John and bring him up as a
188

BIBLE HISTORY.

Nazarite. When Zachariah doubted, he was
stricken dumb. This dumbness continued until
John's circumcision, when his tongue was loosed.

About six months later the angel Gabriel, the
angel of redemption, appeared at Nazareth in
Galilee in northern Palestine to Mary, betrothed
to Joseph, announcing to her that the Holy Spirit
would come upon her and she would bring forth
a son whom she should call Jesus (meaning
Saviour), because He should save His people
from their sins. Mary then visited Elizabeth,
who saluted her as the mother of the Messiah,
long expected by the Jews. John grew up a
Nazarite which meant that he refrained from
strong drink. He wore a garment of camels hair,
his food being locusts and wild honey. About
six months after John's birth, Jesus was born at
Bethlehem, whither His parents had gone from
their home in Nazareth to be taxed by the Roman
government. As the inn of that town was full
when they arrived, Jesus was born in a stable,
probably a cave, and was cradled in a manger.

On the night of His birth, shepherds near
Bethlehem were keeping watch over their flocks.
They were surprised and greatly frightened to see
an angel. He announced to them that in Bethle-
hem their Messiah was born and gave them this
sign, that they would find Him wrapped in swad-
dling clothes and laid in a manger. Then there
appeared with the angel a multitude of angels,
singing, "Glory to God in the highest, peace on
earth, good will to men." The shepherds did as
the angel commanded. They went to Bethlehem
and worshiped Jesus.

Jesus was circumcised on the eighth day as
was the Jewish custom. On the fortieth day He
was taken up to Jerusalem to the temple that
Mary might be purified and that Jesus, as the

BIBLE HISTORY.

first-born might be redeemed from service at the
temple. She offered as her sacrifice doves, thus
reveaHng her poverty. There Simeon and Anna
received Jesus as the jMessiah and Simeon prophe-
sied His death to Mary — "that a sword should
pierce her own soul."

After their return to Bethlehem, three Wise
Men came from the East following a star that
had appeared to them. They had gone first to
Jerusalem and there asked Herod the king where
Jesus, the King of the Jews was to be born.
He inquired of the scribes, who replied "at Beth-
lehem". They therefore went to Bethlehem, and
lo, the star reappeared and stood over the place
where Jesus was. The Wise Men then presented
their gifts to the infant Saviour, gold, frankincense
and myrrh. They worshiped Jesus and departed
homeward without returning to Herod as he had
asked them to do, so that he might know what
babe was the new king of the Jews and might
kill it. Herod therefore became very angry.*
He then ordered all the babes of Bethlehem
under two 3^ears of age to be put to death,
thus hoping to slay Jesus. But Joseph,
warned of God in a dream, took Mary and Jesus
to Egypt, thus fulfilling Hosea's prophecy "Out
of Egypt I called my Son."

The death of Herod (B. C. 4) was the signal
for the parents of Jesus to return to Palestine.
But when they learned that Archelaus, his son

* Note. The family of the Herods were all very-
cruel. This Herod was called "Herod the Great", and
he was great only in his cruelties. He, however, did a
good work in rebuilding the city of Jerusalem, chang-
ing it into a city of marble, and also in rebuilding the
Jewish temple which took forty-six years. But his
cruelty and wickedness was so great that the Emper-
or Augustus once said "It was better to be Herod's
dog tiian his son."

190

BIBLE HISTORY.

tuled in his stead, they passed by Bethlehem and
went northward to Nazareth. There Jesus grew
up and spent about thirty years of His life.

During this time we haA'e only one incident
of His life given. At the age of twelve He was
taken by His parents to keep His first passover.
While He was there, they discovered as they
started homeward that they had lost Him. They
anxiously returned to Jerusalem and after a
three days search, found Him at last in the tem-
ple, where the doctors were asking Him questions.
When they upbraided Him, He replied, "Wist
ye not that I must be about my Father's business."*
He returned with them to Nazareth, where He
lived obedient to His parents, learning the car-
penter's trade with His father.

When Jesus was nearly thirty years of age
(A. D. 26), John the Baptist began preaching
repentance in the Jordan valley. The whole
country poured out to hear John, who so severely
denounced the vices of the times. Among those
who went to hear John were some from the sea
of Galilee, Peter and Andrew, Philip, Na-
thaniel and John. John the Baptist pointed Jesus
out to his disciples, as the "Lamb of God who
beareth the sin of the world." Two of them,
Andrew and probably John, followed Jesus, re-
maining with Him that day. Andrew was so
happy at finding that Jesus was the ]\Iessiah, that
he himted up his brother Peter and told him.
The next day Jesus Himself called another disci-
ple, Philip, and Philip in turn invited Nathaniel
to join Jesus. Nathaniel at first doubted whether
Jesus could be the promised Messiah because He
came from a village of such bad reputation as
Nazareth and not from Bethlehem. But Jesus

* Note. Ox* "in my Father's house."
191

BIBLE HISTORY,

by His reply to him, satisfied his mind. These
five then became disciples of Jesus, the nucleus
of the twelve.

Jesus then asked John the Baptist for bap-
tism. John at first refused, saying that he him-
self rather needed baptism from Jesus. But John
finally baptized Jesus at the Jordan. As he bap-
tized Him, lo, the heavens opened and the Spirit
of God descended on Him like a dove and there
came a voice from heaven saying "This is my be-
loved Son". This baptism was the inauguration
ceremony of Christ's public ministry. It set the
seal of the other two persons of the Trinity, the
Father and the Spirit, on His work.

The public ministry of Jesus, which lasted
over three years may be divided :

1st. Geographically:

a) His ministry in the south, in Judea (about
three months),

b) His ministry in Galilee in the north (about
two years and over),

c) His ministry in Perea, east of the Jordan
(about four months). _

Or it may be divided :

2nd. Chronologically:

a) the year of obscurity,

b) the year of popularity,

c) the year of opposition.

We prefer the latter although we shall not
ignore the former.

SECTION 2.

THE YEAR OF OBSCURITY.

Jesus' first miracle took place at Can^ of
Galilee. From the Jordan, where He had been
192

BIBLE HISTORY.

baptized, He and His five disciples went to Gali-
lee. There at a wedding He turned water into
wine. He then seems to have gone up to Je-
rusalem to the passover. There He drove the
money-changers out of the temple. When they
asked Him for a sign to prove His authority for
doing this, He gave them a sign, that if their
temple were destroyed He would build it up in
tnree days. He referred however, to the temple
of His body, but they supposed He referred to
the temple at Jerusalem. Impressed by His won-
derful works, Nicodemus, a member of the Jew-
ish high council, the Sanhedrin, came to Him by
night. Jesus spoke to him of the necessity of the
new birth and gave him that wonderful promise,
"God so loved the world etc" (John 3: 16).
Having left Jerusalem, Jesus withdrew to the
Jordan where His disciples baptized many. John
also baptized and bore a wonderful testimony
to Jesus, that "He must increase while I must
decrease". As Herod Antipas cast John the Bap-
tist into prison, Jesus left southern Palestine and
retired to Galilee which was just beyond Herod's
jurisdiction. There He spent most of His pub--
lie ministry. #

He went to Galilee by way of Samaria, where
at the well of Jacob, just east of the town of
Shechem, He conversed with the Samaritan
woman at the well, and revealed Himself to her
as the water of life, — the Messiah. He remained
there two days teaching the converts she had
brought to Him and then proceeded to Galilee.
His ministry in Galilee (27 — 29 A. D.) has been
divided into three parts :

a) To the calling of the twelve disciples,

b) To His retirement to Syrophenicia in the
far north,

13 193

BIBLE HISTORY.

c) To His final departure from Galilee for
Jerusalem.

a) To the calling of the twelve.

Going down from Nazareth He was met by
a nobleman from Capernaum, whose son was sick.
Jesus performed His second miracle by healing
him by a word although at a distance from him.
Jesus then went to Capernaum on the north
coast of the sea of Galilee, where He called four
of His disciples from their fishing, Peter and
Andrew and James and John. They had been
mending their nets, but at His command, they
went out into the deep water and dropped their
nets. A miraculous draft of fish was caught.
Jesus then bade them leave their nets and become
"fishers of men".

b) To His retirement to Syrophenicia.

This calling of the disciples was followed by
a day of miracles, as the casting out of a devil in
the synagogue, and the healing of Peter's wife's
mother. This was followed by the first of His
three circuits of Galilee. Whenv- Jesus again re-
turned to Capernaum, He healed the paralytic,
who was let down through the roof because of
the crowd. Jesus called another disciple —
Matthew, from the office of a Roman publican or
taxgatherer. After answering the questions of the
Jews about fasting He seems to have gone to
Jerusalem where He healed the infirm man at
the pool of Bethesda on the Sabbath-day.
When His disciples plucked corn on the
Sabbath, He defended them by saying "The son
of man is Lord of the Sabbath". The Sabbath
was made for man. He also healed the man with
a withered hand on the Sabbath day.
194

BIBLE HISTORY.
SECTION 3.

THE YEAR OF POPULARITY.

The second period of Jesus' Galilean ministry
began with His choice of His twelve disciples.
In connection with this He preached His great
Sermon on the Mount (Matt., chap. 5 — 7). The
twelve disciples were Peter and Andrew, John
and James, Philip, Bartholomew or Nathaniel,
Thomas, Matthew, James, the son of Alpheus,
Thaddeus, Simon the Canaanite and Judas
Iscariot. The matchless Sermon on the Mount
began with eight beatitudes and closed with the
beautiful parable of the house founded upon a
rock. In it He explained some of the ten com-
ma'ndments in the light of His new gospel. He
warned them against living only for the world
and not for God, and reminded them that the test
of life is not words but deeds. His teaching
produced a great sensation because it did not
concern itself with endless hairsplittings as did
the teachings of the scribes, but was with authori-
ty and concerning eternal principles. After the
Sermon on the Mount He made His second cir-
cuit of Galilee, — healed the Roman centurion's
son, — raised the son of the widow of Nain, —
was anointed at the house of Simon by Mary
Magdalene. He warned the scribes and Phari-
sees against "eternal sin", — spoke His seven
beautiful parables of the kingdom (Matt, chap.
13), the parables of the sower, the tares, the
mustard-seed, the leaven, the hidden treasure, the
pearl, and the net. After a day of miracles He
stilled the tempest as He went to Gadara, east of
the Sea of Galilee. There He healed a demoniac
and then returned to Capernaum where He
healed the woman with an issue of blood, and
brought the daughter of Jairus back to life. He
195

BIBLE HISTORY.

also healed two blind men and a dumb man pos-
sessed with devils.

He then made His third circuit of Galilee,
going to Nazareth where He was again rejected.
He sent out His twelve disciples to preach and
heal the sick. This tour was ended by the news
of the death of John the Baptist at the hand of
Herod Antipas at Machaerus, east of the Jordan.
There, when Herodias danced before Herod, he
offered her everything to the half of his kingdom.
She, at the suggestion of her mother, asked for
the head of John the Baptist. Herod granted it.
John's disciples buried their master and then went
and told Jesus.

Matters were now coming to a crisis at
Capernaum. The scribes and Pharisees were be-
coming bolder against Jesus. Still His miracles
continued. He fed the 5000 on the plain north-
east of the sea of Galilee with five loaves and two
fishes which belonged to a boy whom Andrew
brought to His notice. This wonderful miracle
so impressed the people, that they wanted to
make Him king. But He got away from them
and putting His disciples in a boat, He sentthem
across the sea of Galilee while He went up in the
mountain to pray. In the night time He appeared
to His disciples walking on the sea. When Peter
wanted to walk to Him on the waves, he sank.
As he cried out "save or I perish" Jesus saved
him. When they returned to Capernaum. Jesus
delivered His great synagogue sermon on the
Bread of Life (John, chap. 6.) in the synagogue
at Capernaum,

196

BIBLE HISTORY.
SECTION 4.

THE YEAR OF OPPOSITION.

c) His Galilean ministry to His departure for
Jerusalem.

This begins with His tour to Tyre and Sidon
in the far north. For the Jews were concocting
a conspiracy against Him at Jerusalem. He
therefore left Galilee and went entirely beyond the
reach of the Herods, or of the influence of the
Jews. In Syrophenicia He healed the daughter
of the Canaanite woman, by which He recognized
that the faith of a heathen Gentile was genuine.
He returned through the Decapolis, or region of
the ten cities, east of the Sea of Galilee, where
He healed the deaf and dumb man and fed the
four thousand with seven loaves and a few small
fish. Crossing the Sea of Galilee westward to
Magdala, the Pharisees together with the Saddu-
cees and Herodians ask of Him a sign. He
refused to give any sign except that of the prophet
Jonah. Having healed a blind man at Bethsaida
He goes northward. As His rejection by the
Jews was more marked. He tested His disciples,
when Peter gave utterance to His memorable
confession, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the
living God". Jesus replied, "On this rock I will
build my Church". After foretelling His own
death and resurrection, Jesus was transfigured be-
fore His disciples on the slope of Mount Her-
mon near Caesarea Philippi. There a cloud came
over them, out of which came the words, "This
is my beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased".
Peter was so delighted, that he wanted three
tabernacles to be built there, so that they might
remain there. There Moses and Elias appeared
197

BIBLE HISTORY.

and the subject of their conversation was the
coming death of Jesus.

On their return from the transfiguration, Je-
sus healed a demoniac boy, whom His disciples
were not able to heal. He also again foretold
His death and resurrection. Retnrninqr to Ca-
pernaum He performed the miracle of the pay-
ment of the government tax by the coin found in
the fish's mouth. He then spoke to His disciples
on humility and forgiveness. In the autumn He
went up to Jerusalem to the feast of the taber-
nacles, where He delivered the discourses on light
and spiritual freedom (John 8: 12 — 59).

Perea was the country east of the Jordan.
Although only a part of this period of Christ's
life, which lasted from four to six months, was
spent in Perea, yet is has given its name to this
last period of Jesus life. It, like the Galilean min-
istry may be divided into three parts.

a) To the feast of Dedication,

b) To the Resurrection of Lazarus,

c) To the triumphal entry.

a) To the feast of Dedication (about two months).

This feast occurred in the winter (or wet
season). Jesus, as He had before sent forth the
twelve, now sends the seventy, two and two to
preach the gospel. He spoke the parables of the
Good Samaritan, who aided the man who fell
among thieves on the road from Jerusalem down
to Jericho, when the priest and Levite would not.
Jesus then bade His final farewell to Galilee set-
ting His face to go to Jerusalem to die. On His
way through Bethany, Martha, Mary and Laza-
rus open their home to Him. Nazareth had been
the home of His youth, Capernaum, of His public
198

BIBLE HISTORY.

ministry, Bethany thus became His third and last
home. At Jerusalem He healed the man born
blind (John. chap. lo). While teaching in Solo-
mon's Porch, the Jews took up stones to stone
Him because He said He was the Messiah.

h) To the Resurrection of Lazarus.

This is the period that Jesus spent in Perea.
In that back-woods-country, He spoke some of
His most awful warnings and of His most beauti-
ful parables. At the Pharisee's table, he uttered
severe woes on the Pharisees — explamed the
killing of the Galileans by Pilate, healed a woman
on the Sabbath, answered the question whether
few be saved etc. His teaching in Perea came
to a climax in His matchless parables of the
lost sheep, the lost piece of silver and of the prod-
igal son (Luke, chap. 15), and also in His
solemn parables of warning, of the steward, and
the rich man and Lazarus (Luke, chap. 16).

Then word came to Him that Lazarus was
sick. Still He did not start for Bethany at once,
but He remained in Perea two days longer. Then
He said to His disciples "Let us go to Jerusalem
again." Thomas voiced the feelings of the dis-
ciples at ti e danger of doing this, when He said
"Let us go with Him that we may die with Him".
When He came to Bethany. He was met by
Martha at the gate, who said "Lord if Thou hadst
been here, my brother had not died." Jesus said
to her "I am the Resurrection and the life.
She believed on Him and then went and told her
sister Mary. Mary went out from the house of
mourning to meet Jesus and spoke to Him the
same words as Martha "If Thou hadst been here,
my brother had not died." Jesus then went to the
grave where Lazarus had lain for four days.
199

BIBLjE HISTORY.

"JesLis wept." Having prayed He called Lazarus
to come forth, which he did, bound hand and
foot in his grave clothes. This, the greatest of
Jesus' miracles, produced a tremendous sensation
especially as it occurred in the suburb of Jerusa-
lem. It was a challenge to His enemies, who
now determined to make way with Him lest all
the people would go after Him.

c)To the Triumphal Entry.

The last of the Saviour's Perean ministry
was spent in an out-of-the-way country district.
North-east of Jerusalem was the Wood of Eph-
raim in the hill country west of the Jordan where
He concealed Himself from the Jews. There He
healed the ten lepers, whom He had ordered to
go to the priests, only one returning to thank Him
for healing him and he a Samaritan. Jesus spoke
several beautiful parables as of the Importunate
Widow, and the Pharisee and Publican (Luke,
chap. 17). To the question of the Pharisees
about divorce. He replied that there was no
marriage in heaven. He blessed little children
and told the rich young ruler how he might have
eternal life, which he refused, though sorrowing.
Jesus also spoke the parable of the vineyard, after
which He again foretold His death. Salome, the
mother of John and James, thinking His king-
dom would be an earthly one, asked for a place
of honor in it for her two sons, one on His right
hand and the other on His left. This made the
other disciples indignant and Jesus declared that
the greatest in heaven is he that is humble. Je-
sus then went up to Jerusalem by way of Jericho,
where He healed two blind men, one of them being
Bartimeus, who cried as He passeH "Thou Son
of David, have mercy on me". Jesus called to
him Zaccheus the publican, who, because he wag
200

BIBLE HISTORY.

small of Stature, had climbed up a tree so as to
be able to see Jesus pass by. He told him to
come down because He expected to stay at his
house. Zaccheus was so overjoyed that salvation
had come to his house that he offered to restore
fourfold any unjust taxes and gave half of his
goods to feed the poor. Jesus then spoke the
parable of the pounds. Having arrived at
Bethany, He was anointed by Mary at a feast at
the house of Simon where Judas found fault
with Mary for wasting the ointment. Jesus how-
ever defended jMary, saying that she had anointed
His body beforehand for burial. He also de-
clared that ]\Iary's kindness would be forever
spoken of wherever His gospel would be preached.

SECTION 5.
PASSION WEEK. (30 A. D.)

(30 A. D.)

Sunday. — On the first day of the week,
Jesus left Bethany and made His Triumphal En-
try into Jerusalem. He first sent two of His
disciples to Bethphage to get an ass for Him.
His disciples placed their garments on the ani-
mal so that Jesus might ride. The multitude,
carried away by enthusiasm, cast their garments
before Him. waving palm branches and singing
"Hosanna, Blessed is He that cometh in the name
of the Lord". When the Pharisees bade Him re-
buke them. He replied that "if these were to hold
their peace the very stones would cry out." As He
rounded the southern corner of the Mount of
Olives and the splendid view over Jerusalem
burst upon Him, He burst into tears. For He
saw another sight as He prophesied the awful
destruction of Jerusalem, forty years later, be-
cause it had rejected Him. As He came nearer
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BIBLE HISTORY.

the city, riding down the mount of Olives, the
whole city was moved and as He entered the
temple the children sang Hosannas. He returned
to Bethany that evening.

Monday. — On His way to Jerusalem, He
taught His disciples a lesson by cursing a fig-
tree for its barrenness. He also cleansed the
temple of the money-changers as He had done
three years before at the beginning of His public
ministry. In the evening He again went up the
Mount of Olives to Bethany to spend the night.

Tuesday. — This was the last day of His
public teaching in the temple. On His way to Je-
rusalem Peter called His attention to the fig-tree
He had cursed, that it had already withered away.
When He arrived at the temple. He found much
opposition. The day was one of great trial to
Him because of the opposition of the scribes and
Pharisees, who challenged His authority. To
them He spoke three parables of awful warning,
the parable of the two sons, of the wicked hus-
bandman and of the wedding garment.

Three different parties asked Him hard ques-
tions, which He answered so well as to silence
them. Then He in return asked them a question
which they could not answer, how according to
the Psalms, David's son could also be called
David's Lord. As He was about leaving the tem-
ple forever, two touching scenes occurred. He
saw a widow putting two mites into the treasury
of the temple and commended her. Also certain
Greeks desired to see Him whom Andrew brought
to Him. Then bidding good-bye to the temple,
He ascended the mount of Olives on His way to
Bethany. There, overlooking the city, He de-
livered His second Sermon on the Mount (Matt.,
chap. 24 — 25) in which He foretold the destruction
of Jerusalem and also the end of the world. He
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BIBLE HISTORY.

also Spoke the three beautiful parables of the
Ten Virgins, the talents and the sheep and the
goats (Matt., chap. 25). Meanwhile the chief
priests were actively conspiring against Him
with Judas agreeing to pay him thirty pieces of
silver for Christ's betrayal. Jesus went to
Bethany on Tuesday evening and remained there
till Thursday toward evening.

Thursday. — Jesus sent two of His disciples,
Peter and John to Jerusalem to find a room for
the passover and there prepare for it. He told
them to follow a man carrying a pitcher of water
who would show them the room. He finally
went down Himself to Jerusalem toward evening
and met them in the upper room to celebrate the
passover. At the beginning of the passover He
taught His disciples a lesson of humility by wash-
ing their feet.- He then celebrated the passover
to which He gave a new meaning by changing it
into the Lord's Supper which was to be kept in
remembrance of His death and work. In the
midst of it. He startled the disciples by saying,
"Verily one of you shall betray me" and each
asked "Is it I"? Peter beckoned to John who
was leaning on Jesus' bosom to find out which
disciple -^ould betray Him. Jesus then signified
who w^ould betray Him by giving the sop to Ju-
das and Judas went out. Jesus then delivered the
great Sermon at the Supper (John, chap. 14 — 16).
Either in that upper room or on the way to
Gethsemane He offered His great inter-
cessory prayer (John, chap. 17), when they had
sung a hymn or psalm. In the garden of Geth-
semane, which was situated east of Jerusalem on
the western slope of the Mount of Olives and
which had often been a place of prayer to Him,
Jesus became greatly troubled. He took His three
favorite disciples, Peter, James and John still
203

BIBLE HISTORY.

farther into the garden than the rest. Leaving
them He prayed three times that His cup might
pass from Him. But His prayer always ended
with "Nevertheless not my will, but Thine be
done". An angel appeared to Him strengthening
Him. During each of His absences, the disciples
had fallen asleep. On His third return to them,
He announced that the betrayer was at hand.
Judas then appeared with a band of armed Ro-
man soldiers together with the priests. Judas'
kiss was the' sign to them which of the group
with Jesus was Jesus Himself. The disciples all
fled, although Peter drew his sword and cut off
the ear of Malchus the servant of the high priest.
Jesus rebuked Peter and then performed His
last miracle of healing, by healing the ear of
Malchus.

SECTION 6.

THE DAY OF HIS PASSION.

Friday, — of Passion week was the day of
our Lord's suffering, or passion. On that day He
was tried before two courts, first before the
Jewish court called the Sanhedrin or the Seventy,
and second before the Roman court. In the for-
mer court He was charged by the Jew% with the
crime of blasphemy, while in the Roman court
He was charged with a different crime, treason.
The chief priest, who presided over the Jewish
court was Caiaphas the high priest ; the governor
who was over the Roman court was Pontius Pi-
late.

Jesus seems to have been first taken in the
early morning of Friday to the house of Annas,
the father-in-law of Caiaphas for a preliminary
examination. Then He was brought before Caia-
phas and the Sanhedrin. While Jesus was on
204

BIBLE HISTORY.

trial there legally (that is, according to the law),
Peter was also on trial morally. For John had
succeeded in gaining entrance to the courtroom
of Caiaphas and had brought in Peter too. But
Peter remained with the rough Roman soldiers
at the other end of the hall. There he was
charged by the women and the soldiers with being
a Galilean and a follower of Jesus. This he
denied even with an oath. At the third denial
the rooster crew as Jesus had prophesied. Just
then Peter caught a look of Jesus which con-
victed him of his sin and he rushed out of the
courtroom weeping bitterly.

Meanwhile Christ's trial proceeded. He was
charged with blasphemy against the temple (be-
cause He had said He would destroy it), and with
blasphemy against God (because He had said He
was equal with God.) When the false witnesses,
who had been brought in, failed to convict Him
by disagreeing among themselves, Caiaphas ad-
jured Him under oath, whether He was the Son
of God. Jesus said He was. At this the mem-
bers of the Sanhedrin declared they needed no
further testimony and that He was worthy of
death. They therefore caused Him to be beaten
with fists and mocked Him. Aleanwhile Judas,
stung with remorse, brought back to the priests
the thirty pieces of silver. When they refused
to receive it, he cast it into the sanctuary and
went out and hanged himself. With the money
they bought a potter's field in which he was
buried.

As the Jewish Sanhedrin had not the power
to put Jesus to death. He was brought before the
Roman court. There before Pilate He was
charged, not with blasphemy, because that would
have had no effect on a Roman court, but with
treason; — that He had called Himself the King
205

BIBLE HISTORY.

of the Jews, thus setting Himself up against
Caesar the Emperor of Rome. Pilate examined
him and found Him innocent. He so told the
Jews, but they stirred up the people against Jesus.
Pilate, happening to hear that Jesus was from
Galilee, sent Him to Herod Antipas, who ruled
part of Galilee, that he might judge His case.
Herod was glad to see Jesus, of whom John the
Baptist had spoken. He tried to get Jesus to
perform some wonders before him, but Jesus re-
mained silent. So after his servants had mocked
Jesus he sent Him back to Pilate.

Pilate then offered to the Jews to release
Jesus or Barabbas, a noted robber, hoping they
would choose Jesus. While they were deliberat-
ing, Pilate's wife sent him a message to have
nothing to do with Jesus because He was a just
man. The Jews, stirred up by the priests, cried
out for the release of Barabbas and the death of
Jesus. The soldiers then in mockery, crowned
Him with thorns and spat on Him, smiting Him
on the head. Pilate having washed his hands
with water gave command that Jesus should be
crucified.

As they led Jesus to Calvary or Golgotha,
He fainted under the load of the cross and they
compelled Simon of Cyrene to bear His cross.
The women wept for Him but He bade them
rather weep for themselves because of the awful
destruction that was to come on their city for
thus rejecting Him. At Calvary they crucified
Him between two thieves placing on the cross over
His head their charge against Him, "The King of
the Jews," The soldiers cast lots for His gar-
ments. The people and the priests mocked Him,
bidding Him show His power by coming down
from the cross. The thieves at first joined in
the mockery, but the good thief prayed Jesus to
206

BIBLE HISTORY.

remember him in His kingdom. To Him Jesus
gave the promise that he should be with Him that
day in Paradise. Seeing His mother at the
cross, Jesus gave her into the care of His favorite
disciple John. While on the cross He gave utter-
ance to seven sentences :

"Father, forgive them, for they know not
what they do."

"Today shalt thou be with me in Paradise."

"Woman, behold thy son" (to his mother) ;
"Behold thy mother" (to John).

"My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken
me."

"I thirst.^'

"It is finished."

"Father, in Thy hands I commend my spirit."

He was crucified at 9 A. M., the hour of the
morning sacrifice at the temple and died about 3
P. M., the hour of the evening sacrifice. From 12
noon to 3 P. M. darkness fell on the earth. At
His death an earthquake rent the temple veil sep-
arating the inner room, the Holy of Holies, from
the outer, the Holy Place. The Roman centurion
at the cross was so impressed that he said, "Tru-
ly this is a Son of God." Pilate then ordered the
crucified killed and their bodies taken down from
the cross so as not to scandalize the Jews, whose
passover-feast began that evening. But the sol-
diers, when they came, found Jesus dead. Never-
theless one of the soldiers pierced His side with
his spear and there came out blood and water thus
showing that Jesus had already died.

Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the San-
hedrin and a secret disciple of Jesus begged of
Pilate the body of Jesus. With Nicodemus and
207

BIBLE HISTORY.

the women be buried Jesus. Pilate, at the re-
quest of the Jews, set a watch over Jesus' grave
and sealed it so that His body could not be stolen.

SECTION 7.
THE FORTY DAYS OF RESURRECTION.

On the first day of the week, the third since
Jesus died on the cross, He rose from the grave.
There was an earthquake in the early morning,
the door of His grave burst open and He came
forth. The Roman soldiers at the grave fled
with fear. The women, who came to the grave
to complete the embalming of His body were
surprised to find the grave open and His body
gone. Mary Magdalene at once ran and told
Peter and John about it and they ran at once to
the sepulchre to see if it were so, John outrunning
Peter, but Peter going first into the sepulchre.

There are about ten recorded appearances of
Jesus during the forty days between His resur-
rection and His ascension, five of them on the
first Easter day.

I St. To the Women. As they returned from
the grave, He appeared to them and bade them
tell His disciples to go into Galilee.

2nd. To Mary Magdalene, who had come to
the grave again, after finding Peter and John.
She at first supposed Jesus to be the gardener.
But when she recognized Him, she was about to
touch Him which He forbade.

3rd. To Peter.

4th. To the two disciples at Emmaus, one of
them named Cleopas. They at first mistook Him
for a fellow-traveler with them on the road to
Emmaus. As they walked together, He ex-
plained the Old Testament to them and showed
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BIBLE HISTORY.

how it was necessary that Christ should die. At
Emmaus they asked Him to abide with them as
it was toward evening. As they broke bread
together He revealed Himself to them. They
hastened back to Jerusalem to tell the news that
Jesus had risen.

5th. To all the disciples except Thomas in
the upper room. There Jesus breathed on them
the Holy Ghost and bade them tarry at Jeru-
salem till they be endued with power from on
high.

6th. To all the disciples in the upper room
one week later. The unbelieving Thomas was
now present and believed, uttering his noble con-
fession "Aly Lord and my God."

7th. To seven of His disciples at the sea oi
Galilee. They had fished all night and caught
nothing. Jesus appeared to them walking along
the shore and bade them cast their net on the
right side of the boat. They did so and caught
a multitude of fish. John recognized that it
was Jesus and Peter then swam to Him. Jesus
reinstated Peter as an apostle after his threefold
pledge of love.

8th. To five hundred in Galilee when He
gives them the great commission to preach the
gospel to every creature.

9th. To James.

loth. At the Ascension. He appeared to the
disciples at Jerusalem and bade them remain at
Jerusalem till the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
He rebuked their desire to know the time of His
second coming. He then led them out to the
Mount of Olives where He ascended, a cloud
receiving Him out of their sight. Two angels
appeared, promising that He should come visibly

14 209

BIBLE HISTORY.

at the last day just as He had before their eyes
ascended to heaven.

Thus ended the Saviour's life on earth. The
ascension was a fitting conclusion to the incarna-
tion, the atonement and the resurrection.

Chapter II.
THE APOSTOLIC CHURCH.

(30 — 100 A. D.)

(Acts 1—28.)
SECTION I.

THE FOUNDING OF THE CHURCH.

For ten days after the ascension, the disciples
remained at Jerusalem in prayer. During that
time they elected Matthias as an apostle in the
place of Judas. When at last the day of Pente-
cost came, the Holy Spirit descended on them
with a sound as of a mighty rushing wind, while
cloven tongues of fire sat on each of them. They
spoke in other languages to the astonishment of
the Jews gathered at Jerusalem. Peter preached
the great sermon of Pentecost, charging the Jews
with having put to death the Prince of Life.
As the result of his sermon 3000 converts were
baptized that day. And the disciples dwelt to-
gether in great unity and with great liberality to-
ward each other.

Peter and John healed a lame man at the
Beautiful Gate of the temple. Peter preached
his second sermon, declaring that the lame man
was healed through the name of Jesus and urged
them to believe on Him. Peter and John were
then thrown in prison. But the work of God

BIBLE HISTORY.

continued to grow in power until the number of
believers was 5000. Peter and John were brought
before the Sanhedrin the next morning and or-
dered to keep silence about Christ. This they
declared they would not do as they had to obey
God rather than men. The Sanhedrin then left
them go free. v . *u

Barnabas sold a property and gave it to the
early church. Ananias and Sapphira for pre-
tending to do the same, but keeping back part of
the price were smitten with sudden death, ihe
continued increase in the number of Christians
aroused the alarm of the Sadducees. They threw
the apostles in prison when an angel appeared at
nio-ht and set them free. The Sanhedrin again
brought them before them, when Peter then
preached his third sermon, charging them with
having put Jesus to death. This so enraged them
that they were about to kill them, when Gamaliel
checked them by warning them not to do so lest
in so doing, they might be fighting against God.
The number of Christians grew so rapidly that it
became necessary to have deacons to care for the
poor, especially the widows. The church chose
seven deacons of whom Philip and Stephen be-
came prominent. The church spread so rapidly
that it affected the priests, of whom a number
believed. . . , .u

Matters now came to a crisis between the
Jews and the early Church, which resulted in the
stoning of Stephen. Stephen, the boldest of the
deacons was brought before the Sanhedrin
charged with blasphemy. He preached a sermon
in which he boldly charged them with having
murdered the Just One. They thereupon stoned
him to death, but not till he had seen a vision of
Jesus glorified in heaven. .

Philip then went down to Samaria and many
211

BIBLE HISTORY.

of the Samaritans believed. Peter and John were
sent to Samaria to examine into this new work
of grace among the Samaritans, who were half
Gentiles. They having looked into the matter,
received them into the church by the laying on of
hands, at which time the Holy Ghost came down
upon them. Simon, the magician, who had pro-
fessed conversion, wanted to buy the gift of the
Holy Spirit with money. But Peter for this put
him out of the church. Philip then went to the
far south and on the way to Egypt in the desert
met the Ethiopian eunuch returning from Jeru-
salem reading his Bible as he rode in the chariot.
He invited Philip into his chariot to explain the
Bible to him, for he was reading Isaiah's prophecy
about the death of Christ. Philip's words led to
the conversion of the eunuch and he was baptized.
Saul, a young man at whose feet those who
stoned Stephen had laid their garments, now be-
came the great persecutor of the early Christians
at Jerusalem. He also started for Damascus
with letters from the high priest intending to do
the same there. But at midday just before he
arrived at Damascus, Jesus in glory appeared
to him. His attendants heard only the sound, but
Saul heard the voice of Jesus asking him why
he persecuted Him. Blind and helpless this great
persecutor is led into Damascus and lodged at
the house of Judas in the street called Straight.
For three days he was blind and then Ananias
at God's command, came to him and gave him
God's commission to preach the gospel to the
Gentiles. Ananias laid his hands on him, and as
he received the Holy Spirit, the scales dropped
from his eyes. After having spent several years
in Arabia, Saul returned to Damascus and
preached Jesus whom once he persecuted. The
Jews became so enraged at him that they laid a
212

BIBLE HISTORY.

plot to kill him. But he was let down In a basket
from a window and so escaped. He went to
Jerusalem where the apostles seem at first to have
been afraid of him. Barnabas, however, cham-
piotied his cause. He there disputed with the
Hellenists so boldly that he had to leave the city.
The brethren escorted him to Caesarea where he
sailed for Tarsus, his birthplace.

While God was thus appointing one of His
disciples for special work among the Gentiles, He
was opening the w^ay for the preaching of the
gospel to them. Peter while visiting the churches
on the plain of Sharon, west of Jerusalem healed
Eneas of palsy at Lydda. He was then called to
Joppa where he brought Dorcas back to life.
At Joppa, while praying on the housetop at mid-
day, he saw a vision of clean and unclean beasts
in a sheet let down from heaven. While wonder-
ing at its meaning he was sent for to come to
Caesarea to baptize Cornelius a Roman centurion
who was a Gentile. As he did so the Holy Ghost
fell upon them.

The persecution of Stephen had scattered
the Christians. Some of them founded a new and
strong church at Antioch far to the north of Pal-
estine. It became the great Gentile church.
When the news of this reached Jerusalem, Barna-
bas was sent to inquire into this new movement
which brought so many Gentiles into the church.
Under his preaching there were many added to
the church. He then went to Tarsus and brought
Paul to assist him at Antioch.^ The disciples
were first called Christians at Antioch.

A great persecution broke out at Jerusalem
in which James, the brother of John was be-
headed by Herod. Peter also was thrown into
prison. Because Herod saw it pleased the Jews
he intended to behead Peter after Easter. But
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BIBLE HISTORY.

the church went to praying for Peter and in
answer to prayer an angel released him. Peter
went to the prayer-meeting of the Christians at
the house of Mary, John Mark's mother. Rhoda,
the servant there, at first refused to admit him,
but having been admitted he then departed to
Caesarea. Herod having permitted himself to be
saluted as a god, died in great agony as a judg-
rnent of God on him for such impiety. The Chris-
tians at Antioch sent by Barnabas and Saul re-
lief to the Christians at Jerusalem in their per-
secutions.

SECTION 2.

PAUL'S MISSIONARY JOURNEYS.

The life of Paul divides itself into four parts,
his first, second and third missionary journeys
and then his journey to Rome.

a) His first Missionary Journey.

The church at Antioch decided to send out
missionaries. Paul and Barnabas, together with
John Mark, went to the island of Cyprus in the
eastern Mediterranean sea. At Paphos they
found a Roman official, Sergius Paulus, whom
they led to Christ. And when the Jewish sor-
cerer Elymas or Barjesus, withstood them he
was smitten with blindness by Paul, whose name
was now changed from Saul toPaul. They then sailed
northward to Perga in Asia. Mark however,
left them and went back home to Palestine while
Paul and Barnabas proceeded on their journey.
At Antioch in Pisidia, Paul preached in a syna-
gogue his first recorded sermon which gained
many converts. The next Sabbath almost the
whole town flocked to the synagogue. But the
Jews, jealous of the Gentiles, attacked Paul. He
214

BIBLE HISTORY.

then turned from them to the Gentiles, many of
whom beheved. They went as far as Iconi-
um, but here again the unbelieving Jews caused a
persecution against them. Being threatened with
stoning, they fled to Lystra. There the healing
of a cripple caused the idolatrous people to name
Paul after their god Mercury, and Barnabas after
Jupiter. The people wanted to sacrifice to them
as gods, but they would not permit it. Paul and
Barnabas made some converts. But, at the in-
stigation of some Jews who had come there from
Antioch and Iconium, Paul was stoned and
dragged out of the town as dead. He afterward
revived and together with Barnabas went to
Derbe, where they gained many disciples. From
this point they returned on their own tracks, visit-
ing again Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, appointing
elders in the churches. They then returned to
Antioch in Syria, to the church that sent them
out and told of the great work that the Lord had
done through them among the Gentiles.

There came then a great controversy m the
Christian church between its two parts — the
Jewish and the Gentile. The Jewish claimed
that the Gentiles ought to be circumcised and ob-
serve the Jewish rites, which, as Gentiles, they
had never been accustomed to do. Paul and
Barnabas were sent to Jerusalem, where the sub-
ject was brought before the first Christian synod.
The Synod decided that the Gentiles did not need
to be circumcised, but that they should abstain
from meats offered to idols and also take up a
collection for the poor at Jerusalem.

b) The second Missionary Journey.

Paul and Barnabas again started from Anti-
och to make a missionary tour, but this time they
separated, because Paul was not willing to take
315

BIBLE HISTORY.

John Mark along. So Barnabas took Mark and
went westward to Cyprus and Paul started north-
ward taking with him Silas. When he arrived
at Derbe and Lystra he also took with him
Timothy, his favorite, — his son in the Lord.
He went through Phrygia and Galatia in what
is known now as Asia Minor. He wanted to go
into the provinces . of Asia and Bithynia but he
Was forbidden by the Spirit to do so.

So he went to the western coast of Asia
Minor where at Troas, Luke joined him. There
he saw the Macedonian vision, and obeying
it he went northwestward across the sea to
Europe at Neapolis and then went to Philippi.
There he led to the conversion of Lydia, a seller
of purple. Being arrested together with Silas for
healing a slave girl possessed with the spirit of
divination, they were cast into prison. But God's
Spirit, together with an earthquake, led the jailor
to ask "what must I do to be saved." To this
Paul gave his memorable reply "Believe on the
Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved." The
jailor was baptized and the next day Paul and
and Silas were set free.

He then went to Thessalonica where he
preached Christ in the synagogue for three Sun-
days. But the Jews started a mob against him
which attacked the house of Jason. Not finding
Paul there, they dragged Jason before the rulers
of the city, charging him with receiving men who
turned the world upside down. The authorities
took security of Jason and thert the brethren
quietly sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. There
his teachings set the Bereans'to wonderful zeal in
Bible-reading. But the Jews came from Thessa-
lonica and stirred up the people against them.
So Paul was sent away, although Silas and Timo-
thy stayed there for a time.
216

BIBLE HISTORY.

Paul then proceeded southward to Athens.
There after disputing with the Epicureans and
Stoics he was taken to Mars Hill where he
preached his matchless sermon (Acts, chap. 17).
But when he came to speak of the resurrection,
he was interrupted and gained but few converts
among them.

He then went to Corinth, where he met
Aquila and Priscilla, lately driven out of Rome
by persecution. They worked with Paul as tent-
makers which was also Paul's trade. Paul
preached in the synagogue, but when the Jews
opposed him, he turned to the Gentiles and was
joined by Crispus and others. Still he was
greatly depressed by the opposition, so that the
Lord gave him a vision, telling him that he
should not be harmed as he had yet much people
in that city. The Jews rose against Paul and
brought him before Gallio the Roman deputy.
But Gallio, thinking their case was about a mere
quibble between the different parties of the Jews,
paid no attention to them and drove them from
the judgment-seat. Paul remained at Corinth
eighteen months and there wrote his first epistles
of I and n Thessalonians. He then crossed the
sea eastward to Ephesus, hastening to go to
Jerusalem to keep the feast. He then completed
his trip by returning to his starting point in
Aritioch in Syria.

c) The third Missionary Journey.

Paul started a third time from Antioch, going
through Galatia and Phrygia to Ephesus where he
remained more than two years. Since he had
been there last, Aquila and Priscilla had been
living there and had found a man of Alexandria,
Apollos, whom they led to Christ. Apollos had
been a disciple of John the Baptist. Apollos then
217

BIBLE HISTORY.

went to Corinth where he revealed himself so
versed in Scripture and so eloquent that some in
the congregation there preferred him to Paul.
Paul also found at Ephesus twelve disciples of
John the Baptist whom he led to Christ and
baptized, the Holy Spirit falling on them as he
did so. As the Jews opposed him in the syna-
gogue, he formed a congregation in the school of
lyrannus. Many believed. Some brought their
books on magic worth a good deal of money and
burned them in a public bonfire. But Paul's
teaching became so popular in that idolatrous city
that a tumult was raised against Paul. The
silversmiths, who made and sold images of the
goddess Diana, began to find that Christianity
was lessening the sales of their images. They
therefore caught Gains and Aristarchus, two of
Paul's companions, and rushed into the theatre.
The town clerk, however, quieted the mob and
Paul left Ephesus for Macedonia. During his
stay at Ephesus he wrote his two epistles to the
Corinthians and perhaps also the epistle to the
Romans.

He went to Corinth where he spent three
months and he wrote his epistle to the Galatians.
He then returned from Greece to Asia Minor
going by way of Philippi and Troas. At Troas
he remained a week. There when Eutychus, who
had fallen asleep while Paul was preaching, fell
from the third story window, Paul restored him
to life again. Paul sailed along the coast of Asia
Minor till they came to Miletus. There the
elders of the church of Ephesus came to him and
bade farewell to him, weeping sore. He then
sailed for Tyre where he remained a week. Then
he travelled south to Caesarea where Agabus
bound his hands and feet with Paul's girdle, thus
prophesying that Paul would be bound and im-
218

BIBLE HISTORY.

prisoned. Paul arrived at Jerusalem and de-
clared to James and the church his wonderful
work among the Gentiles. To prove that he had
not taught the Jews to forsake the law of Moses,
he put himself under a vow together with four
others. When its course, which lasted nearly a
week, was over, some of the Jews charged Paul
with having brought Gentiles into the sacred
precincts of the temple. (He had had Trophi-
mus, a Gentile, as his companion in Jerusalem).
They raised a riot against him and were about
to attack him, when Claudius Lysius, the Roman
officer rescued him. He gave Paul permission to
address the people, which he did standing on the
steps leading to the Fort Antonia. In this ad-
dress he described his wonderful conversion out-
side of Damascus. But when he came to de-
scribe the stoning of Stephen, the Jews raised a
tumult. The captain then hurried him away to
the castle and was about scourging him when
Paul told him he was a Roman citizen and so
Lysius did not do it.

Later Paul was brought before the Sanhedrin
where Ananias, the high priest, commanded them
to smite him on the mouth. When Paul de-
clared he was on trial for his faith in the resur-
rection (which part of the Sanhedrin, the Sad-
ducees, did not believe, although the Pharisees
believed it), the Sanhedrin broke up in a tumult
between these two parties. Later Paul's nephew
revealed to the Roman captain a plot of the Jews
to kill Paul. So Lysias hurried him away by
night to Caesarea, where his case would be tried
before the Roman governor Felix. Five days af-
ter, Ananias the high priest and the elders, with
a certain orator named Tertullus, went to Caesa-
rea to bring charges against Paul. Paul then
made a splendid defence. Felix retained Paul
219

BIBLE HISTORY.

as a prisoner, hoping to receive bribes from him.
On another occasion, he had Paul deliver an ad-
dress before him and his wife Drusilla in which
Paul reasoned so eloquently of righteousness,
temperance and judgment to come, that Felix
trembled. Two years later, when Festus became
governor in the place of Felix, Paul was still a
prisoner. The chief priests and elders demanded
of Festus that Paul be brought to Jerusalem for
trial. They hoped on the road to waylay Paul
and kill him. Festus, willing to gratify the
Jews, asked Paul whether he would be willing
to go to Jerusalem. Whereupon Paul appealed
to Caesar. Festus then, in order to be able the
better to state the charges against Paul, took oc-
casion when King Agrippa and Bernice were
visiting him to have Paul speak before them.
Paul made his famous defence (Acts, chap. 26),
in which he appealed to Agrippa who then re-
plied "Almost thou persuadest me to be a
Christian". Agrippa's judgment about Paul's
case was that Paul might have been set at liberty
if he had not appealed to Caesar.

d) Paul's voyage to Rome.

Festus sent Paul to Rome, a centurion named
Julius having him in charge. From Caesarea
they sailed to Sidon northward, then to Myra in
Lysia where they changed ships, then westward to
the harbor of Fair Havens in the island of
Crete. As it was now late in the autumn, Paul
warned them against going farther before the
winter storms set in. But they disobeyed his ad-
vice and sailed for Port Phoenix. The north-
east storm (Euroclydon) caught them and they
drifted about helplessly for fourteen days. They
were then shipwrecked at the island of Malta.
But through God's care for Paul's sake, not one

BIBLE HISTORY.

was drowned. Paul remained at Malta three months
where he healed many of diseases, especially
the father of Publius, the chief man of the island.
They then sailed past Syracuse to Puteoli in the
beautiful bay of Naples. They there landed and
travelled northward to Rome. They were met
at Three Taverns by the Christians of Rome.
Finally Paul arrived at Rome where he was kept
a prisoner till his case was decided. He seems
however, to have been allowed to dwell in his
own hired house. He invited the chief men of
the Jews and addressed them about the charges
that had been brought against him. They re-
plied that they had not heard from Jerusalem
about his case and as for the Christians, they
were everywhere spoken against. At Paul's sec-
ond interview with them, some believed and some
did not; so Paul turned to the Gentiles. He
dwelt in this house two years preaching Christ.

The remainder of Paul's life is obscure.
About it we have nothing but scattered hints in
his Epistles. Four of his Epistles are called the
epistles of the imprisonment, because they were
^vritten during his imprisonment at Rome, Ephe-
sians, Colossians, Philippians and Philemon.
The books of first Timothy, second Tim-
othy and Titus were written later, second Tim-
othy being the last written, just before his death.
Some believe that he had only one imprisonment
at Rome, others, two. In either case, after hav-
ing been a prisoner, he was put to death for his
faith by the cruel emperor Nero.

The later history of the early Christian
Church in the first century is very meagre of facts.
The city of Jerusalem was destroyed 70 A. D.
Christian tradition says that, before it occurred,
the Christians having been warned, fled from the
doomed city. Peter seems to have gone east
82?

BIBLE HISTORY,

to Babylon where he was aided by Mark and
where he wrote his epistles. Timothy became
the head of the church at Ephesus where he was
succeeded by John. John was banished to the
island of Patmos, where he wrote his book of
Revelations, followed later by his gospel and last
of all, when he was very old, by his epistles.

BOOK TV.

HISTORY

OF THE

REFORMED CHURCH.

HISTORY OF THE REFORMED
CHURCH.

Our Reformed Church has had its home in
three lands, Switzerland, Germany, and the
United States. It was the oldest of the Protest-
ant Churches, having been founded (1516) to-
gether with tne Lutheran Church, in the days of
the Reformation. The only Evangelical church,
that is older, is the Waldensian of Italy, founded
in the twelfth century.

The name of our Church — Reformed — is
derived from the fact that the first attempt of
the Reformers was to reform the Catholic Church
from within. And when they were forced out
of the Church the name clung to them and they
accepted it.

Chapter I.
SWITZERLAND.

SECTION I.

ULRIC ZWINGLI.

Ulric Zwingli was the founder. - He was
born at Wildhaus, a village in north - eastern
Switzerland on New Year's day 1484. His New
Year's birth was destined to usher a new day
into the world's religious history. He was edu-
cated for the Catholic priesthood at Basle and
Berne in Switzerland and at Vienna in Austria.
His first congregation was at Glarus (1506 — 1516) ;
his second at Einsiedeln (1516 — 1518) ; his third
15 225

HISTORY OF THE REFORMED CHURCH,

at Zurich (1519 — 1531), all located in north-east-
ern Switzerland.

He says he began preaching the gospel in
1516 at Einsiedeln. (Luther nailed his theses on
the church. door at Wittenberg Oct. 31, 1517.)*

The causes that led Zwingli to leave the
Catholic church and become a reformer were of
two kinds, remote and immediate. The remote
were :

1. His early education under the influence of
Humanism, (the study of the classics) which gave
him liberal ideas.

2. The influence of Thomas Wyttenbach at
Basle (1505) who taught him two ideas, which be-
came the seed-corn for his future reformation,
(a) that the Bible was a higher guide and authori-
ty than the Church, (b) that the death of Jesus
was our only ransom from sin.

3. His Patriotism. He saw the members of
his congregation at Glarus join the foreign armies
of the pope and the French and he became dis-
gusted with the immoral results of this. Two
visits to Italy as chaplain of the troops opened
his eyes the more fully to the evils of the Catho-
lic religion.

4. The discovery of an old liturgy at Mollis
near Glarus which revealed that formerly the
Catholics used to give the wine to communicants
as well as the bread.

Thesd remote influences were gathered to-
gether and brought to a climax by a direct in-
fluence, which appeared in 15 16. namely, the pub-
lication of the New Testament in the Greek lan-
guage by Erasmus. This revealed to him that
on many points the Catholic Church had departed

* Note. Lefevre, the reformer of the French Re-
formed church as early as 1512 taught Evangelical
doctrine.

226

HISTORY OF THE REFORMED CHURCH.

from the gospel doctrines and rites of the New
Testament. He became so intensely interested in
it that he committed whole epistles to memory,
an excellent example for all Reformed to commit
Bible verses to memory. This enabled him later
to reply with convincing power to the enemies of
the reformation.

The two doctrines which he emphasized in
beginning the Reformation were those taught him
by Wyttenbach — the supremacy of the Bible
over the Church and the death of Jesus as our
ransom. These he seems to have begun preaching
at Einsiedeln, but especially at Zurich. On New
Years' day 15 19 he astonished the people at Zu-
rich by announcing that he would hereafter preach
to them on the gospel of Matthew. As the people
had had little or no preaching from the Bible for
centuries this created a tremendous sensation.
Under his severe labors his health broke down
and he went away to Ragatz to rest. But the
plague broke out at Zurich and like a faithful
pastor, he came back, only to fall a victim of it.
Although almost sick unto death. God spared his
life for great purposes, overruling his sickness
to complete his experience of the evangelical gos-
pel. From 1519 to 1525 he labored to introduce
into Zurich the new doctrines of the Reformation
by means of conferences, and on Easter day 1525
its introduction was completed by the adminis-
tration of the Lord's Supper after the Protestant
mode, by giving the wine as well as the bread to
the church members.

The new views of the reformation spread
through Switzerland. From Zurich as a centre
they spread westward to Basle. There the citi-
zens cast out the images from the Catholic church-
es and Ecolampadius became the great reformer.
They also spread north and east into the neigh-
227

HISTORY OF THE REFORMED CHURCH.

boring districts of St. Gall, the Grisons, etc. But
the most important event was their introduction
into the state (canton) of Bern, south of Zurich.
There Haller had preached them amid great op-
position until finally a conference was held there
in 1528. While Zwingli was preaching in the
cathedral at Bern, a friar, who came to celebrate
mass, was converted by the sermon and publicly
threw off his robes. As a result of this con-
ference that large canton of Bern became
Protestant.

The next important event of his life was the
Marburg conference when the Prince (Landgrave)
of Hesse in Germany tried to unite the two
Protestant churches — the Lutheran and Re-
formed. It was held at Marburg in western Ger-
many Oct. 1st 1529. There Luther and Zwingli
met face to face, the only time in their lives. An
epidemic broke up the conference, when the Land-
grave insisted on their coming to some union.
Fifteen Articles were drawn up, on which they
all agreed except one, — about the Lord's Sup-
per, Zwingli held out his hand to unite, but
Luther refused and the attempt failed and so
those two great churches of the reformation have
ever since remained separate.

The last scene in Zwingli's life was his death.
in 1531 the five mountain cantons southeast of
Zurich, which were intensely catholic, attacked
Zurich suddenly. Zwingli went out with the Zu-
rich army as chaplain to the battle of Cappel,
about ten miles south of Zurich. There, while
stooping to minister to a fallen soldier, he was
struck by a stone. His last words were, "They
may kill tne body, but they can not kill the soul."
The army of Zurich was driven off of the field
and Zwingli's body was burned by the Catholics,
who, to show their hatred, mixed his ashes with
228

HISTORY OF THE REFORMED CHURCH.

that of swine. So died the martyr of the first
great quartette of the reformers, composed of
Luther and Melancthon of the Lutheran church
and Zwingli and Ecolampadius of the Reformed.

SECTION 2.

BULLINGER AND CALVIN.

But' the death of Zwingli did not crush the
Reformation. Though the workers die, God's
work goes on. God raised up two men, Henry
Bullinger at Zurich for northern Switzerland,
and John Calvin at Geneva for southern Switzer-
land, to complete the work Zwingli had begun.

Henry Bullinger was born in Switzerland but
educated in Holland and Germany, where at
Cologne he became a Protestant. When he re-
turned to Switzerland he found that his canton
of Zurich, had like himself, become Reformed.
He became pastor near Zurich but was driven out
by the war that caused Zwingli's death and fled
to Zurich. There the church was anxiously look-
ing for a suitable successor to Zwingli. Bul-
linger's fearless preaching won him the place and
although he was yet young, he was elected Zwing-
li's successor. His learning, eloquence, common
sense and earnest piety made him worthy to fol-
low Zwingli. He died as head of the church at
Zurich in 1575.

John Calvin, the other successor of Zwingli,
was a Frenchman by birth. In early life he was
educated to be a lawyer and showed such great
ability that he frequently was asked to lecture in
place of his teacher. God, however, led him to
Christ and he became a fearless preacher. But
he was driven out of France because he was a
Protestant. Meanwhile another reformer, Wil-
Ham Farel, who had been driven out of France
229

HISTORY OF THE REFORMED CHURCH.

because he was a Protestant, had begun, under
the protection of the canton of Bern, to preach
the gospel in southern Switzerland where the
French language was spoken. He crossed the lake
of Neuchatel in south-western Switzerland and
preached the first Protestant sermon in that canton
on a tombstone in the cemetery, because the Cath-
olic bishop had forbidden his preaching in any
of the churches. By his efforts the canton of
Neuchatel became Reformed. But he had his
eye on a greater city, Geneva. He began preach-
ing there although they tried to shoot him, when
he replied, "I fear your gun no more than I do a
popgun." They tried to poison him but fortunate-
ly he did not eat of the soup in which it was
placed. In spite of this opposition, the gospel
increased in power so much that at Geneva he
prayed the Lord to send a helper and God an-
swered his prayer.

For Calvin happened to pass through Geneva
in 1536 on his way to Germany, where he ex-
pected to study. Farel happened to hear that he
was in Geneva and pled with him to stay. Calvin
at first refused, saying he wanted to study, — to
travel, — to rest. Farel reminded him how Jonah
fled from duty and was punished. Calvin re-
plied that he was not strong enough to be the
reformer of Geneva. Farel finally called down
God's curse on him if he would not stay. _ Calvin
trembled like a leaf and after considering the
subject for a night decided to accept Farel's call
as from God and stay at Geneva. Calvin began
to thoroughly organize the church there, but his
reforms were so strict that he was compelled to
leave for several years (1538 — 1540, but they
were glad to recall him. He so reformed the city
morally as well as religiously, that it became the
model city of its age. He was a great theologian
230

HISTORY OF THE REFORMED CHURCH,

and commentator on the Bible. He completed the
the organization of our church. Zwingli had be-
gun its organization by founding a synod, Calvin
completed it by organizing the lower church courts
as classes and consistories. He also prepared the
way for liberty by beginning the separation of
the church from the state, and this movement
ultimately led to the founding of great republics
as Holland and the United states. He died May
27th, 1564.

Chapter II.

GERMANY.

The Reformed Church spread from Switzer-
land, its birthplace, out in every direction into
other parts of Europe. Its doctrines spread
southward into Italy but were crushed by the
Catholics in the inquisition. They spread
eastward into Poland, Bohemia and Hungary; in
Bohemia they were crushed out with awful atroci-
ties by the Jesuits and in Hungary many suffered
for their faith. They spread westward into France,
where the terrible massacre of St. Bartholo-
mew (1572) killed 70,000 and the Revocation of
the Edict of Nantes (1675) drove out 500,000
more. The Reformed church has therefore been
especially the church of the martyrs. She has
had more martyrs die for her faith than any other
Protestant Church. She spread northward into
Holland where under the fearful persecution of
Spain, her martyrs were counted by the thousands.
She also spread into Scotland and England. To-
day the Reformed are found in every continent
except Australia. But it is especially with Ger-
many that we have to do. for it was from that land
our forefathers brought our faith.
231

HISTORY OF THE REFORMED CHURCH.
SECTION I.

JOHN A'LASCO.

In 1524 the Reformed doctrines were intro-
duced into Strasburg in Southwestern Germany
by the reformers Zell and Bucer, but later they
were forbidden. They, however, found a per-
manent foothold in northwestern Germany at Em-
den where Aportanus founded a congregation in
1526. This church was later permanently estab-
lished through the work of John A'Lasco.

John A'Lasco was the great Reformer of three
lands, Germany, England and Poland. He was
bom in Poland in 1499 and was of noble family.
He soon gained high honors in the Catholic Church
because his uncle was one of its highest officials,
but he was not satisfied. He had been influenced
by the Reformation, with which he had come in-
to contact, while on a tour as a young man, es-
pecially when in Switzerland, he met Zwingli in
1523. As a result he finally gave up all his splen-
did prospects in the Catholic church and re-
nounced his title of nobility in order to become
an humble preacher of the gospel, like Moses,
"esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches,
than the treasures of Egypt." He left Poland and
was appointed superintendent of the church at
Emden in 1544. He was then called to London
where he became pastor of the foreigners (Dutch,
French, etc.), to whom was given the church of
Austin-Friars. He there organized the congrega-
tion thoroughly after the presbyterian form of
government, as Zwingli had_ done by synods and
Calvin by classes and consistories. Soon after,
the Catholic queen Mary began terribly persecut-
ing the Protestants and A'Lasco and many of his
congregation were compelled to flee. They sailed
for Germany, but the winter's storms drove thein

HISTORY OF THE REFORMED CHURCH.

to Denmark, where the people drove them away
because they were Reformed as did also some of
the northern cities of Germany. They at last
found an asylum at Emden and Frankfort in
Germany. A'Lasco became pastor at Frankfort.
But in the meantime his native country of Poland
began receiving the gospel, and he was recalled
there, glad to found a Reformed church there
and to translate the Bible into its language. He
died in 1560, one of the most beautiful characters
among the reformers, "a soul without a stain,"
as Erasmus used to call him.

SECTION 2.

ELECTOR FREDERICK III. AND THE
HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

But it was the introduction of our church
into Heidelberg in western Germany that gave it
a permanent home in Germany. Elector Freder-
ick III. (also called the Pius) was ruler of the
Palatinate of which Heidelberg was the capital.
He became Reformed and ordered two of his
ministers, Zachariah Ursinus and Casper Olevia-
nus to prepare a catechism. He published this
catechism, which is called the Heidelberg Cate-
chism, its preface being dated January 19th, 1563.

Ursinus was bom in eastern Germany at
Breslau, July i8th, 1534, and after studying under
Alelancthon at Wittenberg University and teach-
ing at his native city he was driven out because
he was Reformed. He went to Zurich, where he
studied under Peter Martyr and was called to
Heidelberg as professor. He was a fine theo-
logian.

Casper Olevianus was born at Treves in west-
ern Germany August 30th, 1536. He was led into
the ministry by a providence. While almost
233

HISTORY OF THE REFORMED CHURCH.

drowning in a river at Bourges, France, where he
was studying, he vowed that if God would spare
his life, he would become a minister. True to his
promise, he studied under Calvin at Geneva.
He then preached the gospel m his native city,
Treves, for which he was imprisoned and driven
out. But Elector Frederick III. called him to be
the superintendent of the Reformed Church in the
Palatinate and with Ursinus he was appointed to
compose our Catechism.

When the catechism appeared, it gained such
popularity that it went through several editions
during its first year (1563). But the Catholic
and Lutheran princes of Germany bitterly opposed
it. And finally, Frederick III. of the Palatinate,
was summoned to appear before the Diet of Ger-
many at Augsburg (1566) to answer for his
catechism. His friends urged him not to go to
the Diet as they feared his country and perhaps
his ^ life ^ might be taken from him for pub-
lishing it. But he had the spirit of the
martyr and bravely appeared before the Diet.
There he made his great defence of the catechism
May I4th,_ 1566. In doing so he entered the room
of the Diet, followed by his son, Casimir, who
carried a Bible, He declared that his catechism
was in harmony with the Bible. So eloquently
did he defend it that when he closed, two of the
Lutheran nobles complimented him. He was
finally permitted to continue the use of his cate-
chism and as a result we in America have this
priceless treasure as the creed of our church.

Frederick III. was one of the most pious
princes of his age. When asked why he did not
build more forts, he replied in the words of Lu-
ther's hymn, "A mighty fortress is our God."
He died October 26th, 1576 and was succeeded by
his son, Lewis, who reintroduced the Lutheran
234

HISTORY OF THE REFORMED CHURCH,

faith into the Palatinate. As a result, both Ur-
sinus and Olevianus were compelled to leave the
country. Ursinus went to Neustadt, southwest
of Heidelberg, where he taught, and died March
6th, 1583. Olevanius went from Heidelberg to
Herborn, where he taught, and died March 15th,
1597- Olevianus, when dying, was asked about
his salvation and replied, "I am most certain,"
thus echoing his faith in the first answer of our
catechism.

Our Reformed faith after it had been intro-
duced into Heidelberg, spread into other
districts of Germany, — northward to Nassau,
Westphalia and the Rhine Provinces, east-
ward into Hesse Cassel Lippe, Anhalt,
even to Berlin, the capital of Brandenburg. There
the Prince, John Sigismund, announced to his
chcincellors before Christmas 1613 that on Christ-
mas day he would celebrate the Lord's Supper
after the Reformed mode by using bread instead
of wafers. Since then the royal family of Prus-
sia, from whom the Emperor of Germany is de-
scended, has been Reformed, although the present
Emperor belongs to the Evangelical Church of
Germany, which is the union of the Reformed
and Lutherans.

Of this line of prmces of Brandenburg the
most interesting to the Reformed is the Great
Elector Frederick William. He was the great
defender of the Reformed in the '17th Century.
His wife was equally interesting, Louisa Henri-
etta, who led to the publication of the great Ger-
man hymn "Jesus meine Zuversicht" (Jesus my
eternal Trust). She was a beautiful Christian
character, her home at Oranienbuig near Berlin,
being a veritable chapel of prayer nnd praise.
She died June 28, 1667 and the great Elector after
mourning her loss, finally died May 9, 1688.
235

HISTORY OF THE REFORMED CHURCH.
SECTION 3.

THE PERSECUTIONS OF THE REFORMED.

Why did our forefathers conie to America
is the question that has often been asked. The
answer is that they came because of the persecu-
tions and wars in the German Fatherland and be-
cause of the poverty caused by them. They looked
across the ocean to the new world of America
as an asylum where they might gain religious
liberty and also sufficient means to live. The
wars and persecutions of our German forefathers
took place mainly in two periods :

1. The Thirty Years' War (161&— 1648).

2. The Palatinate Wars (1688— 1695 and
later).

I. The Thirty Years' War was caused by the
Prince of the Palatinate, Elector Frederick V,
accepting the crown of Bohemia. For that he
was attacked by his rival Ferdinand, the Emperor
of Germany and defeated. He was deprived of
his country, the Palatinate, a Catholic prince was
placed on his throne and he became an exile. The
Reformed people of the Palatinate and of other
districts in Germany were greatly oppressed.
Hostile armies overran their lands, destroy-
ing, burning, ravaging the country and killing or
illtreating the people. The university of Heidel-
berg was lost to them, most of its famous library
being carried away to Rome. In 1627 the Re-
formed of Heidelberg were summoned to the city
hall and commanded to give up their religion.
This they bravely refused to do, declaring they
would give up everything, yes, even leave their
country rather than give up their Reformed faith.
Famine and pestilence followed close on to each
other in this war until finally in all the rich
236

HISTORY OF THE REFORMED CHURCH.

Palatinate there were only two hundred farmers
in 1636, and around Heidelberg there were more
wolves than men.

2. The Palatinate Wars, (1688— 1693). In
1688 the King of France sent his armies to ravage
the Palatinate. They destroyed 1200 towns and
villages and made 40.000 families homeless in
winter, Heidelberg's beautiful castle was blown
up March 2nd, 1689 and is now a ruin, but the
most beautiful ruin in Europe. In 1693 another
French army was sent into the Palatinate. It
captured Heidelberg and destroyed what had been
left by the previous invasion. One hundred Re-
formed churches fell into the hands of the Cath-
olics and two hundred Reformed ministers and
schoolteachers were driven out.

After the wars of 1688 and 1693 came a period
of peace. But the persecutions of peace are
sometimes more severe than those of war. For
more than a century the Reformed of the Palatin-
ate were ruled by Catholic princes (1685 — 1802).
The Catholics often persistently oppressed them
for being Reformed. They took possession of
their cemeteries and then of their churches, —
they had their bells ring for Catholic festivals and
hours of prayer, — compelled them to kneel in
the street when the pyx (containing the Lord's
Supper for the sick) passed by. In 1705 the
largest church of the Reformed at Heidelberg,
the Holy Ghost church, was taken from them and
given to the Catholics. Through the intercession
of Protestant princes the church was finally given
back to the Reformed. But in 1719 the prince
not only took this church from the Reformed
but also forbade the use of the Heidelberg Cate-
chism. Again through the intercession of Prot-
estant princes that church was returned to the
Reformed and the catechism was permitted to be
237

HISTORY OF THE REFORMED CHURCH.

used. But in 1755 the meetings of the synods
were forbidden and also of their classes, so that
no synod was held for thirty four years (1755 —
1789). Finally in 1799 the last Catholic ruler
allowed religious liberty. The wonder was that
after almost two centuries of persecution (1618 —
1800) there was any Reformed Church left in the
Palatinate. No wonder our forefathers came to
America to gain religious liberty and a home.

Chapter III.
AMERICA.

SECTION I.

THE FOUNDING OF THE REFORMED
CHURCH.

Long before our German forefathers came to
America in the 18th century, the Reformed from
Holland had started a church at New York (New
Amsterdam) in 1628 which is now the oldest
Evangelical Church in this country. The first
governor of New York (1626) was Peter Minuit
who was an officer in the Reformed church. He
later (1638) founded a colony of Swedes in
Delaware. Our German forefathers however,
did not come to America in large numbers until
about 1720, when they began settling the Schuyl-
kill and Perkiomen Valleys of Pennsylvania, and
later going farther into the wilderness into Le-
high and Lancaster counties of the same state.

The first Reformed congregation in America
was organized by Rev. Henry Haeger, who came
to Virginia in 1714. The first Reformed minister
who came to Pennsylvania was Rev. Samuel
Guldin. He had been a minister at Bern. Switzer-
238

HISTORY OF THE REFORMED CHURCH.

land and came to America in 1710 and lived in
the suburbs of Philadelphia. He occasionally
preached but did not do anything toward organiz-
ing congregations. The man who organized the
Reformed church was Rev. John Philip Boehm.
He had been a schoolmaster at Worms in Ger-
many and came to America in 1720. In 1725, as
there were no ministers to preach there to the Re-
formed, those who lived at Falkner's Swamp,
Skippack and White Marsh, Pa., prevailed on
Boehm to become their pastor even though he
had not yet been ordained. He finally, reluctant-
ly yielded to their wishes. He organized those
three congregations and later congregations at
Tulpehocken and Conestoga.

In 1727 Rev. George Michael Weiss arrived
at Philadelphia and founded the First Reformed
church there. He soon came into conflict with
Boehm, for he felt Boehm was acting irregularly
because he was preaching without ordination.
The difficulty was finally overcome by the ordina-
tion of Boehm by the Dutch Reformed ministers
at New York in 1729.

In 1746 Rev. Michael Schlatter came to Amer-
ica, authorized by the Reformed church of Holland
to organize the German Reformed. He complet-
ed Boehm's work of organization by gathering
the various congregations into a Coetus which
held its first meeting at Philadelphia, September
29th, 1747. There were present four ministers,
Boehm, Weiss, Rieger, and Schlatter and twenty
seven elders representing twelve congregations.

SECTION 2.

THE HISTORY OF THE COETUS.

In 1751 Schlatter, who had traveled extensive-
ly in Pennsylvania, Maryland and even Virginia
returned to Europe to get more aid. and the next
239

HISTORY OF THE REFORMED CHURCH.

year he returned to America with six young
ministers of whom Otterbein and Stoy were the
most prominent. In 1754 Schlatter left the Coe-
tus and lived near Philadelphia where he died.
The Reformed church of Holland sent over a
number of ministers of whom Weyberg, Hendel,
Helffrich and Helffenstein were the most promi-
nent. These with a number of ministers raised
up in this country, as Weber, Weymer, Wack and
others laid good foundations for our church.

During the Revolution our church suffered
severely. Most of the Germans sided with the
patriots against England, although there were a
few Royalists who clung to the King. One of the
most eloquent ministers in the colonies was Rev.
J. J. Zubly of Savannah. Ga. He became promi-
nent at the beginning of the Revolution and was
elected to the Congress but later fell under sus-
picion and was exiled by the patriots. But others
were very outspoken patriots. Rev. Dr. Wey-
berg of Philadelphia preached so eloquently to the
Hessians in the British army that they were in-
clined to desert. His church was used by them as
a hospital and after their departure, when it was
reopened for worship, he preached on Ps. 79: i,
"O God, the heathen are come into Thine in-
heritance, etc." Rev. Dr. Hendel's patriotism was
so well known that when he went over the moun-
tains to Lykens Valley to preach he was guarded
by the Reformed lest he would be attacked by
the Indians. General Nicolas Herkimer, the
hero of the battle of Oriskany in New York state,
who died on the battlefield, was a German Re-
formed. But the most prominent Reformed offi-
cer was Baron Steuben. He came to America
from service in the army of King Frederick the
Great of Prussia. He became the great drill-
master of our army. After his coming the regu-
240

HISTORY OF THE REFORMED CHURCH.

lars of the Continental army were never beaten
in a fair fight. The effect of the Revolution on
the church was unfortunate. Many of the minis-
ters were unpaid or paid in continental money
which was almost worthless. Some of the con-
gregations were overrun by armies, as German-
town and Skippack. The attention of the people
was diverted from sacred things and almost no
ministers were raised up for the church. In view
of these various difficulties the Coetus appointed
a fast-day for the church in 1779. At the be-
ginning of the war the memorial service on the
death of General Montgomery, Feb. 19th, 1776
was held in the First Reformed church of Phila-
delphia. And after Washington's death the So-
ciety of Cincinnati composed of the officers of the
Revolutionary army, held memorial services in
that church, February 22nd, 1800.

SECTION 3.

THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE SYNOD.

In 1792 the Coetus prepared to separate from
the mother church of Holland. The reasons for it
were :

1. Holland was so far away that corre-
spondence between our church and the Dutch
church was difficult.

2. There was a difference in language, as the
Hollanders spoke Dutch, our church, German.

3. The Holland Church was unwilling to give
our Church certain privileges, as the right to or-
dain or to found a school for the education of
ministers.

The first Synod of our Church was held
April 27th, 1793 at Lancaster. It then contained
twenty two ministers, seventy _ eight congrega-
tions and about 15,000 communicants.

16 241

HISTORY OF THE REFORMED CHURCH.

Two problems faced the new Synod, (i) The
change of the language from German to English.
(2) A school to educate ministers.

(i) The change of the language often caused
bitter feelings in congregations between the young-
er or more progressive party and the older or con-
servative, who desired to retain German. The
Philadelphia congregation w^as the first to be
greatly divided, first the English party going out,
then the German seceding. Gradually, however,
our Church has learned to deal wisely with this
question.

(2) The second difficulty, the lack of minis-
ters, was for a while partially met by private
theological schools. The Rev. C. J. Becker, D. D.
opened one at Baltimore, Rev. S. Helffenstein,
D. D., at Philadelphia, and Rev. F. L. Herman,
D. D., at Falkner Swamp. They educated a
number of young men, Helffenstein educating the
most, twenty seven. But in spite of all these ef-
forts the Church outgrew the number of ministers.
So an effort was made to found a theological
school in 1820. It was not opened till 1825, when
Rev. Lewis Mayer, D. D., began teaching at Car-
lisle in connection with Dickinson College. This
school was removed in 1829 to York when Prof.
F. A. Ranch was added to the faculty. A classi-
cal school was started in connection with it which
was removed to Mercersberg 1835, where it was
changed to Marshall College and later 1853 re-
moved to Lancaster. The theological seminary
was removed from York to Mercersburg in 1836
and later in 1871 removed to Lancaster. In the
early part of the 19th century our Church sent
home missionaries to North Carolina which led
to the founding of North Carolina Classis. It
also sent missionaries to Ohio and the .West,
where it grew rapidly, spreading iri Indiana and

m

HISTORY OF THE REFORMED CHURCH.

Wisconsin. A theological seminary was founded
in 1848 at Tiffin, Ohio where also Heidelberg
College was founded. The Germans also founded
a Mission House at Franklin, Wisconsin in i860
for the education of German ministers.

In 1863 the Church observed the 300th anni-
versary of the puDlication of the Heidelberg Cate-
chism in 1563 and a large conference was held in
Philadelphia, January 17th, 1863. The various
Classes and congregations held Tercentenary
services during that year. Free-will offerings
were made which in the Eastern Synod alone
amounted to $108,000.00. In 1863 the various
Synods and Classes united to form the General
Synod of our Church. In 1893 the Church ob-
served the Centennial of the organization of its
synod independent of the Reformed Church of
Holland.

SECTION 4.

OUR CHURCH GOVERNMENT.

The Government of our Church is Presby-
terial, that is, it centers in elders or presbyters.
In Germany the eldership or spiritual council of
a congregation was called the Presbyterium.
There are three forms of Church government:
the Episcopal, or government by bishops : the
Congregational, or government by the congrega-
tion : and the Presbyterial, or government by
the elders and the ministers.

In our Church there are really five church
courts :

I. The Congregation. Each congregation
has an annual congregational meeting for the
election of elders and deacons and such other
business as may be of importance. Each com-
municant and contributing member has a vote
243

HISTORY OF THE REFORMED CHURCM.

unless otherwise stated in the charter of the
church. Each member should be interested
enough in his congregation to attend this meeting.

2. The Consistory. This is composed of your
pastor, the elders and the deacons and meets
monthly, quarterly or yearly as it decides. The
special duty of the deacons is to look after the
financial interests of the congregation, of the
elders to care for its spiritual interests. The
elders, together with the minister also compose a
Spiritual Council, whose duty is to receive mem-
bers into the church and to discipline any who are
unwor4:hy.

3. The Classis. This is a higher court than the
consistory or congregation and is composed of
the congregations or charges within a certain
district or territory. At its meetings it is com-
posed of ministers belonging to it and also an
elder from each charge belonging to it. It usually
meets once a year in the spring.

4. The Synod. This is composed of all the
Classes within a certain district. ^ At its meet-
ings, if it be a delegated synod, it is composed of
ministers and elders delegated to it from each
classis belonging to it. If it be a convention
synod it is composed of as many ministers and
elders from all its charges as attend. The synod
is usually held once a year in the fall.

5. The General Synod. This includes the whole
Church and is composed of ministers and elders
elected to it by the various classes of the Church.
It usually meets once in three years in the month
of May.

These five form the Church courts of our
Church. In addition to them there are a number
of Boards and Institutions of the Church usually
under the control of the General synod or of the
synods.

244

HISTORY OF THE REFORMED CHURCH.

1. The Board of Foreign Missions, which
aims at the conversion of the heathen to Christi-
anity. It has mission work- in North Japan, at
Tokio and Sendai and in central China at Yochow
and Chen-chow in the province of Hunan.

2. The Board of Home Missions, which es-
tabhshes congregations and builds churches in
our own country where Reformed members can
be found or "where there is need of religious
services.

3. The Sunday School Board of the Church
which provides our Sunday Schools with Lesson
helps and other publications and aims to plant^_
and aid Sunday Schools wherever possible.

There are other institutions of our Church
needing support and contributions as :

The various Theological Seminaries at Lan-
caster, Pa., Dayton, O., and Franklin, Wis.

The various Colleges as Franklin and Mar-
shall at Lancaster, Pa., Heidelberg at Tiffin, O.,
the German Mission House at Franklin, Wis.. Ur-
sinus College at Collegeville, Pa., and Catawba
College, Newton, N. C.

The Orphans' Homes at Womelsdorf. Pa.,
Greenville, Pa., Fort Wayne, Ind., and Crescent,
N. C.

The Board and also the Society for the relief
of Ministers and their Widows.

The \^rious Reformed Publication Boards
at Philadelphia, Pa., and Cleveland, O.

The various Church Papers as the Messenger,
Philadelphia, Pa., The Christian World, Cleve-
land, O., The Reformed Church Record, Reading,
Pa., The Reformed Church Herald, Lisbon, Iowa.
These are English. The German Church Paper
is the Kirchenzeitung, Cleveland, O.
245

BOOK V,

Ifgmn0.

HYMNS.

All hail the power of Jesus' name !

Let angels prostrate fall !
Bring forth the royal diadem,

And crown Him Lord of all.

Sinners whose love can ne'er forget
The wormwood and the gall;

Go, spread your trophies at His feet.
And crown Him Lord of all.

Let every kindred, every tribe,

On this terrestrial ball.
To Him all majesty ascribe.

And crown Him Lord of all.

Oh, that with yonder sacred throng,

We at His feet may fall;
We'll join the everlasting song.

And crown Him Lord of all.

2.

Nearer, My God, to Thee,

Nearer to Thee,
E'en though it be a cross

That raiseth me;

Note. These Hymns are for use at Catecheticaj
Lectures and also some of them may be committed
by catechumens.

249

HYMNS.

Still all my song shall be,
II : Nearer, my God, to Thee, :I|
Nearer to Thee.

Though, like a wanderer.

The sun gone down.
Darkness be over me.

My rest a stone;
Yet in my dreams I'd be
II : Nearer, my God, to Ihee, :|j

Nearer to Thee.

There let the way appear.

Steps unto heaven;
All that Thou sendest me,

In mercy given :
Angels to beckon me
II : Nearer, my God, to Thee, :||

Nearer to Thee.

Then, with my waking thoughts
Bright with Thy praise,

Out of my stony griefs
Bethel I'll raise;

So by my woes to be

II : Nearer, my God, to Thee,:||
Nearer to Thee.

3*

I LOVE Thy kingdom. Lord,
The house of Thine abode;

The Church our blest Redeemer sav'd
With His own precious blood!

I love Thy Church, O God!

Her walls before Thee stand,
Dear as the apple of Thine eye.

And graven on Thy hand.

:i5o

HYMNS.

For her my tears shall fall;

For her my prayers ascend:
To her my cares and toils be given,

Till toils and cares shall end.

Beyond my highest joy

I prize her heavenly ways,

Her sweet communion, solemn vows.
Her hymns of love and praise.

4.

Sun of my soul, Thou Saviour dear,
It is not night if Thou be near;

O may no earth-born cloud arise
To hide Thee from Thy servants eyes.

When the soft dews of kindly sleep
My wearied eyelids gently steep.

Be my last thought, how sweet to rest.
Forever on my Saviour's breast.

Abide with me from morn to eve,
For without Thee I cannot live;

Abide with me when night is nigh,
For without Thee I dare not die.

Come near and bless us when we wake.
Ere through the world our way we take,

Till in the ocean of Thy love
We lose ourselves in heaven above.

Lord, dismiss us with Thy blessmg,

Fill our hearts with joy and peace:
Let us each Thy love possessing,
351

HYMNS.

Triumph in redeeming grace;

II : O refresh us:||
Traveling through the wilderness.

Thanks we give and adoration,
For Thy Gospel's joyful sound:

May the fruits of Thy salvation
In our hearts and lives abound;

II : May Thy presence :||
With us, evermore be found.

So, whene'er the signal's given,
Us from earth to call away.

Borne on angels' wings to heaven.
Glad the summons to obey,

_ ||:We shall_ surely: II
Reign with Christ in endless day.

6,

How sweet the name of Jesus sounds

In a believer's ear !
It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds,

And drives away his fear.

It makes the wounded spirit whole.
And calms the troubled breast ;

'Tis manna to the hungry soul.
And to the weary rest.

Dear name! the rock on which I build,

My shield and hiding-place;
My never-failing treasury filled

With boundless stores of grace.

Jesus ! my "Shepherd, Husband, Friend !

My Prophet, Priest, and King!
My Lord, my Life, my Way, my End!

Accept the praise I bring.
5i52

HYMNS.

Just as I am, without one plea,

But that Thy blood was shed for me,

And that Thou bid'st me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come ! — I come !

Just as I am, and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,

To Thee, whose blood can cleanse each spot.
O Lamb of God, I come! — I come!

Just as I am, though tossed about
With many a conflict, many a doubt.

Fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come! — I come I

Just as I am; Thy love unknown
Has broken every barrier down;

Now to be Thine, yea, Thine alone,
O Lamb of God, I come! — I come!

8.

More love to Thee, O Christ!

2^Iore love to Thee ;
Hear Thou the prayer I make.

On bended knee ;
This is my earnest plea —
1 1 : More love, O Christ, to Thee,

More love to Thee.

Once earthly joy. I craved.

Sought peace and rest;
No\y Thee alone I seek,

Give what is best :
This all my prayer shall be,
1 1 : More love, O Christ, to Thee, :

More love to Thee.
353

HYMNS.

Then shall my latest breath

Whisper Thy praise;
This be the parting cry

My heart shall raise,
This still its prayer shall be,
1 1 : More love, O Christ, to Thee,

More love to Thee.

9.

Come, Thou Fount of ev'ry blessing,

Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy never ceasing,

Call for songs of loudest praise :
Teach me some melodious sonnet,

Sung by flaming tongues above ;
Praise the mount, — O fix me on it,

Mount of God's unchanging love.

Here I raise my Eben-Ezer,

Hither by Thy help I'm come ;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,

Safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,

Wand'ring from the fold of God ;
He to rescue me from danger,

Interposed with precious blood.

Oh! to grace how great a debtor,

Daily I'm constrained to be !
Let that grace now, like a fetter,

Bind my wandering heart to Thee;
Prone to wander. Lord I feel it —

Prone to leave the God I love —
Here's my heart — O take and seal it;

Seal it from the courts above.
254

HYMNS.

10*

Alas ! and did my Saviour bleed,
And did my Sovereign die?

Would He devote that sacred head
For such a worm as I?

Was it for crimes that I had done,
He groaned upon the tree?

Amazing pity ! grace unknown !
And love beyond degree !

Well might the sun in darkness hide,

And shut his glories in,
When God the mighty Maker died

For man the creature's sin.

Thus might I hide my blushing face,
While His dear cross appears,

Dissolve my heart in thankfulness,
And melt mine eyes to tears.

But drops of grief can ne'er repay

The debt of love I owe :
Here, Lord, I give myself away;

'Tis all that I can do.

11*

My sins, my sins, my Saviour!

They take such hold on me,
I am not able to look up,

Save only, Christ to Thee :
In Thee is all forgiveness.

In Thee abundant grace,
My shadow and my sunshine
The brightness of Thy face.
255

HYMNS.

My sins, my sins, my Saviour !

How sad on Thee they fall !
Seen through Thy gentle patience,

I tenfold feel them all.
I know they are forgiven ;

But still, their pain to me
Is all the grief and anguish,

They laid, my Lord, on Thee.

My sins, my sins, my Saviour!

Their guilt I never knew,
Till, with Thee, in the desert

I near Thy passion drew.
Till, with Thee, in the garden

I heard Thy pleading prayer,
And saw the sweat-drops bloody

That told Thy sorrow there.

Therefore my songs, my Saviour!

E'en in this time of woe,
Shall tell of all Thy goodness

To suffering man below,
Thy goodness and Thy favor,

Whose presence from above,
Rejoice those hearts, my Saviour,

That live in Thee, and love.

12.

I HEARD the voice of Jesus say:

"Come unto me and rest;
Lay down, thou weary one, lay down

Thy head upon my breast!"
I came to Jesus as I was.

Weary, and worn, and sad ;
I found in Him a resting place,

And He hath made me glad.
256

HYMNS.

I heard the voice of Jesus say,

"Behold, I freely give
The living water ! thirsty one,

Stoop down, and drink, and live."
I came to Jesus, and I drank

Of that life-giving stream :
My thirst was quenched, my soul revived.

And now I live in Him.

I heard the voice of Jesus say,

"I am this dark world's light :
Look unto me, thy morn shall rise,

And all thy day be bright."
I looked to Jesus and I found

In Him my Star, my Sun;
And in that light of life I'll walk

Till all my journey's done.

13.

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee;

Let the water and the blood.

From Thy riven side which flowed,

Be of sin the double cure —

Cleanse me from its guilt and power.

Not the labors of my hands

Can fulfill Thy law's demands ;

Could my zeal no respite know ;
Could my tears forever flow,

All for sin could not atone :

Thou must save, and Thou alone.

Nothing in my hand I bring,

Simply to Thy cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress,
17 257

HYMNS.

Helpless, look to Thee for grace :
Foul, I to the fountain fly ;
Wash me Saviour, or I die.

While I draw this fleeting breath,
When my eyelids close in death,

When I soar to worlds unknown,
See Thee on Thy judgment-throne,

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.

14,

Lord, I am Thine, entirely Thine,
Purchased and saved by blood divine

With full consent Thine I would be.
And own Thy sovereign right in me.

Here, O my Lord, my soul, my all,
I yield to Thee beyond recall ;

Accept Thine own — so long withheld,
Accept what I so freely yield.

Grant one poor sinner more a place
Among the children of Thy grace ;

A wretched sinner lost to God.

But ransomed by Immanuel's blood.

The vow is past beyond repeal;

Now will I set the solemn seal :
Thine would I live, Thine would I die.

Be Thine through all eternity.

IS.

Oh, happy day, that seals my choice
On Thee, my Saviour and my God !

Well may this glowing heart rejoice.
And tell its raptures all abroad.
358

HYMNS.

Chorus : Happy day, happy day,

When Jesus washed my sins away !
He taught me how to watch and pray,
And live rejoicing every day.

O happy bond ! that seals my vows
To Him who merits all my love;

Let cheerful anthems fill His house.
While to His sacred throne I move. — Cho.

'Tis done, the great transaction's done ;

Deign, gracious Lord, to make me Thine ;
Help me, through grace, to follow on.

Glad to confess Thy voice divine. — Cho.

Here rest my oft-divided heart,

Fixed on thy God, thy Savious, rest ;

Who, with the world would grieve to part,
When called on angel's food to feast ?-Cho.

High heaven that hears the solemn vow,
That vow renewed shall daily hear.

Till in life's latest hour I bow,

And bless in death a bond so dear. — Cho.

16.

Take my life, and let it be

Consecrated Lord to Thee,
Take my hands, and let them move

At the impulse of Thy love.

Chorus : All to Thee, all to Th"ee,

Consecrated, Lord to Thee.

Take my feet, and let them be
Swift and beautiful to Thee.

Take my voice, and let me sing
Always ■ — only — for my king. Cho.
359

Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages to Thee.

Take my silver and my gold,

Not a mite would I withhold. Cho.

Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in endless praise.

Take my intellect and use

Every power as Thou shalt choose. Cho.

Take my life and make it Thine

It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own,

It shall be Thy royal throne. Cho.

Take my love, my heart, I pour

At Thy feet its treasure store
Take myself and I will be

Ever, only, all for Thee. Cho.

n.

My life, my love, I give to Thee,

Thou Lamb of God, who died for me;

0 may I ever faithful be.
My Saviour and my God !

Chorus : I'll live for Him who died for me.
How happy then my life shall be !
I'll live for Him, who died for me.
My Saviour and my God !

1 now believe Thou dost receive.

For Thou hast died that I might live;
And now henceforth I'll trust in Thee,
My Saviour and my God. Cho,
260

HYMNS.

Oh, Thou who died on Calvary

To save my soul and make me free,

I consecrate my life to Thee,
My Saviour and my God. Cho.

Am I a soldier of the cross,

A follower of the Lamb?
And shall I fear to own His cause.

Or blush to speak His name?
Must I be carried to the skies,

On flowery beds of ease,
While others fought to win the prize,

And sailed through bloody seas?

Are there no foes for me to face?

Must I not stem the flood?
Is this vile world -a friend to grace.

To help me on to God?
Sure I must fight, if I would reign;

Increase my courage, Lord!
I'll bear the toil, endure the pain.

Supported by Thy word.

Thy saints, in all this glorious war,

Shall conquer, though they die;
They view the triumph from afar,

And seize it with their eye.
When that illustrious day shall rise,

And all Thy armies shine
In robes of victory through the skies,

The glory shall be Thine.

19.

Jesus ! and shall it ever be

A mortal man ashamed of Thee?

Ashamed of Thee, whom angels praise.

Whose glories shine through endless days?
861

HYMNS.

Ashamed of Jesus : sooner far
Let evening blush to own a star:

He sheds the beams of Hght divine
O'er this benighted soul of mine.

Ashamed of Jesus ! that dear friend
On whom my hopes of heaven depend!

No; when I blush — be this my shame,
That I no more revere His name.

Ashamed of Jesus ! yes I may,
When I've no guilt to wash away,

No tear to wipe, no good to crave.
No fears to quell, no soul to save.

20.

My faith looks up to Thee,

Thou Lamb of Calvary,

Saviour divine !
Now hear me while I pray,

Take all my guilt away,
Oh, let me from this day

Be wholly Thine.

May Thy rich grace impart

Strength to my fainting heart.

My zeal inspire :
As Thou hast died for me.

Oh, may my love to Thee
Pure warm and changeless be,

A living fire !

While life's dark maze I tread,
And griefs around me spread,
Be Thou my guide ;

Bid darkness turn to day,
^03

HYMNS.

Wipe sorrow's tears away,
Nor let me ever stray
From Thee aside!

When ends life's transient dream,

When death's cold, sullen stream

Shall o'er me roll,
Blest Saviour! then, in love,

Fear and distrust remove:
Oh, bear me safe above,

A ransomed soul !

2U

Jesus, I my cross have taken,

All to leave and follow Thee;
Naked, poor, despised, forsaken,

Thou, from hence, my all shalt be!
Perish every fond ambition,

All Fve sought, or hoped, or known.
Yet how rich is my condition,

God and heaven are still my own!

Let the world despise and leave me.

They have left my Saviour, too;
Human hearts and looks deceive me —

Thou art not, like them, untrue;
Oh, while Thou dost smile upon me,

God of wisdom, love and might,
Foes may hate, and friends disown me,

Show Thy face and all is bright.

Man may trouble and distress me,
'Twill but drive me to Thy breast ;

Life and trials hard may press me;
Heaven will bring me sweeter rest!
263

HYMNS.

Oh, 'tis not in grief to harm me,
While Thy love is left to me,

Oh, 't were not in joy to charm me,
Were that joy unmixed with Thee.

Go then, earthly fame and treasure!

Come disaster, scorn and pain !
In Thy service pain is pleasure,

With Thy favor, loss is gain.
I have called Thee — Abba, Father :

I have stayed my heart on Thee !
Storms may howl, and clouds may gather,

All must work for good to me.

Jesus! I live to Thee,
The loveliest and best ;

My life in Thee, Thy life in me,
In Thy blest love I rest.

Jesus ! I die to Thee,

Whenever death shall come
To die in Thee, is life to me,

In my eternal home.

Whether to live or die,
I know not which is best;

To live in Thee, is bliss to me.
To die is endless rest.

Living or dying. Lord,
I ask but to be Thine ;

My life in Thee, Thy life in me
Makes heaven forever mine.

264

HYMNS.

Christ for the world we sing;

The world to Christ we bring,

With loving zeal ;
The poor, and them that mourn,

The faint and overborne,
Sin-sick and sorrow-worn.

Whom Christ doth heal.

Christ for the world we sing;

The world to Christ we bring,

With fervent prayer ;
The wayward and the lost.

By restless passions tossed,
Redeemed at countless cost,

From dark despair.

Christ for the world we sing;

The world to Christ we bring,

W^ith one accord ;
With us the work to share.

With us reproach to dare,
With us the cross to bear.

For Christ our Lord.

Christ for the world we sing;

The world to Christ we bring.

With joyful song;
The new-born souls, whose days.

Reclaimed from error's ways.
Inspired with hope and praise,

To Christ belong.

'4fi6

HYMNS-

Break Thou the bread of life,

Dear Lord, to me.
As Thou didst break the loaves

Beside the sea ;
Beyond the sacred page

I seek Thee, Lord ;
My spirit pants for Thee,

O living Word !

Bless Thou the truth, dear Lord,

To me — to me —
As Thou didst bless the bread

By Galilee ;
Then shall all bondage cease,

All fetters fall;
And I shall find my peace,

My All-in- All ! "

BOOK VI

ADVICE TO
CATECHUMENS.

ADVICE TO CATECHUMENS.

^ i« «
WHAT IS CONFIRMATION.

You are about to be confirmed. What is it.

Confirmation is a public profession of your
faith in Jesus as your Saviour. It is also a re-
newal of the baptismal vows made in your name
by your parents. (The first of these views
is the original Reformed view of confirmation,
the latter came in through the iijfluence of Spen-
er and the Lutheran Pietists.)

Confirmation is a rite which consists of three
main acts, first, your vows to God ; second, the
laying on your head of the hands of your pastor
and the third, the giving of the right hand of
fellowship by your pastor.

Your vows are as follows : The minister asks
you : Dost thou now in the presence of God and
this congregation renew the solemn promise and
vow made in thy name in baptism? Dost thou
ratify and confirm the same and acknowledge thy-
self bound to believe and to do all those things
which thy parents undertook for thee. Answer,
I do.

Dost thou renounce the Devil with all his
ways and works, the world with its vain pomp
and glory, and the flesh with its sinful desires?
Answer, I do.

Then the minister will say : Profess now your
faith before God and this congregation, when you
will repeat the -Creed.

The first of these vows is a renewal of your
269

ADVICE TO CATECHUMENS.

baptismal vows, the second is a vow of consecra-
tion and obedience, the third a profession of your
faith in Christ and the doctrines of the Bible.

The laying on of hands at Confirmation is
a very old religious custom coming from the
Bible times. Jacob blessed his grandsons thus.
Jesus also blessed little children. The apostles
used the laying on of hands at the ordination of
deacons. The minister, in laying on his hands,
repeats a verse of Scripture, which is a prayer
for your faithfulness to God.

The giving of the right hand of fellowship
by your pastor is a sign, that he, in the name of
the congregation, welcomes you into the Chris-
tian church and. to all its blessed privileges.

HOW PREPARE FOR CONFIRMATION?

Your first duty is consecration. Confirmation
without consecration to God is a dead form and
avails nothing. Confirmation is only the outward
form of your inward consecration.- Only when
confirmation and consecration are united together
will it be a true rite. First of all, consecrate
yourself to God.

Your next duty is prayer. It is by prayer
that you consecrate yourself. But you need
prayer after you have consecrated yourself to God
for the first time. Prayer keeps up your consecra-
tion to God. You need a great deal of prayer
before confirmation.

A third duty before confirmation is to real-
ize that you are a child of God. Once you were
a stranger to Him, perhaps a rebel, but like the
Prodigal Son you have come back to the Father's
house. The Reformed Church has_ always in-
sisted in a genuine religious experience before
confirmation. Her method has been a beautiful
270

ADVICE TO CATECHUMENS.

combination of the educational religion as in
catechization and of the experimental. The con-
stitution of our church requires it of you (Art.
129). The question in confirmation presupposes
it. You need to feel that Christ is the forgiver
of your sins and your personal Saviour. You
must be born again (Answer 8) if you trust
your salvation to Christ. "He that believeth
hath life." The ground of your salvation is the
finished work of Christ on the cross (Answer
60). Having thus found Christ as your personal
Saviour, your confirmation is only the outward
profession of that inward faith.

V^^HAT ARE VOU TO DO AT CONFIRMATION?

While it is important for you to watch the
outward form so that there be no mistake, yet
it is more important for you to care for the in-
ward spirit. You ought to think of all that con-
firmation means, of the solemn step you are tak-
ing. You ought to spend your time in silent
prayer to God for grace and blessing. You are
taKing on j^ourself solemn vows before God and
man — to last through life, yes to last forever
into eternity. You may feel your weakness but
"your sufficiency is of God". He is able to keep
you from falling and to present you faultless be-
fore His throne. In your prayer at confirmation
ask for His presence and peace in 3^our heart,
that the benediction of God may come upon you
in that solemn act.

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO AT YOUR *-IRST COMMUNION?

I. Meditate, think on the meaning of the
sacrament. It means :

(a) A Renewal That you renew your con-
271

ADVICE TO CATECHUMENS.

firmation vow at each sacramental service. The
Roman word sacramentum meant the oath that
the Roman soldier took to his government. So you
make your solemn vow to God there.

(b) A Communion. We generally call the
service a communion because you ought to com-
mune there with God in prayer.

{c) A Memorial. The Saviour said, "This do
in remembrance of me". You are to remember
how your Saviour died for you on the cross.
You ought to think much of His atoning work.

(d) A Prophecy. It is a type of a greater
feast, the Lamb's Supper in heaven, in which
perhaps some of your dear ones are joining now,
and where you hope to sit after death.

2. Pray. There should be much silent prayer
on your part during the communion. While
others are communing and when you yourself com-
mune, you should pray thus. The service will
then be really a communion with God.

3. Resolution. Go out from the service with
a strong purpose to serve God. Determine that
you will give up forbidden sins and pleasures and
practise selfsacrifice for His sake. Determine
to lead a Christ-like life. Keep Him before you
ever your model.

WHAT ARE YOU TO DO AFTER CONFIRMATION ?

Having found Christ as your personal
Saviour and having openly professed Him at
confirmation, you have a reasonable hope that
you are a Christian. There are two main duties
of the Christian, the outward Christian life and
the inward Christian life: or as the Bible puts
the works and faith.

272

ADVICE TO CATECHUMENS.
THE OUTWARD CHRISTIAN LIFE.

Be true to your confirmation vows. Re-
member what you promised then. You are now
a Christian and the world expects you to Hve
up to your Christian profession. You promised
obedience, then be obedient to God's laws — do
right. Be obedient also to God's calls — the
calls of the Spirit. Lead a consistent Christian
life as far as you know how. Try to imitate
Christ as your blessed model, then you will be-
come Christlike.

Be faithful to your Church. The Church is
a very important means of grace to you. Never
allow anything to keep you from her services.
Be at Church on Sunday, at prayer meeting when
possible and at Sunday School. Listen carefully
to the sermon. Be devout in the house of God.
Attend the Lord's Supper regularly, not mere-
ly once a year, but whenever that feast comes
round. A_t the Lord's Supper recall your con-
firmation vows. Belong to one or more societies
of your church and it will interest and help you.
You must be a worker if you will grow as a
Christian. Read the Church papers and famil-
iarize yourself with the work of your denomina-
tion and of the Christian church generally.

Be careful about backslidinsr. — the gradual
slipping away from Christ. Do not allow your-
self to lose interest in Christ's cause or His
church. All this is due generally to your care-
lessness about your inward Christian life.

THE INWARD CHRISTIAN LIFE.

Read your Bible. Begin with the New Tes-
tament and read it through. Then begin with the
Old Testament. Read part? of it every day, at
18 218

ADVICE TO CATECHUMENS.

least a chapter every Sunday. If possible have
a Bible of your ow^n and mark the passages in it
that you love the best. Commit a verse a da>
to memory if possible. The Word of God will
"keep your eyes from tears, your feet from fall-
ing, and your soul from death".

Be regular in your prayers. Pray every day
at evening and also in the morning if possible.
Never forget them or give them up. If you find
your prayers getting cold, begin praying for some
one else. Keep your heart warm by prayer.
Make the prayer-life the fountain of a beautiful
symmetrical Christian character.

But do not pray only in your closet. Be
ready to pray at all times when you feel like it
or when you are tempted or in danger. On the
street or at business, at your work or in your
social circle or in your home you can pray si-
lently for help and blessing. Pray without ceas-
ing that is, be always in the spirit of prayer.
Form the prayerful mind.

2f4

BOOK VII.

Prag^rB.

^ r a g ^ r B.

On taking scats in the catechetical class.

O God help me to fix my mind on Thee and
Iheavenly things. Prepare me to learn something
about Thee. Like Mary, may I sit at Jesus feet
and choose that good part that shall not be taken
away from me.

"Here's my heart, Lord, take and seal it
Seal it from Thy courts above." Amen.

Before uniting u.'ith the Church.

O blessed Saviour help me to devote myself
to Thee for life and eternity. Enable me to
give up sin and grow like Christ. Be Thou my
strength in weakness, my comfort in sorrow and
my portion forever. Be a Prophet to teach me,
a Priest to atone for me, a King to rule over
me. Help me to confess Thy name and present
myself a living sacrifice of thankfulness to Thee
that with a free and good conscience I may fight
against sin and Satan in this life and afterwards
reign with Thee eternally in glory. "Living, may
I live to Thee, dying, may I die in Thee. Living
or dying may I ever be the Lords, for Christ's
sake." Amen.

On taking ones seat in Church.

O Lord, Thou God of the Sanctuary, prepare
me to worship Thee in Thy temple. Give me the
277

spirit of reverence and communion with Thee.
Enable me to worship Thee in spirit and in truth.
Help me to join in the prayers and praises of
the church with heartiness, to hear Thy word
with attention and to do it with obedience.
"May the words of my mouth and the medita-
tions of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight,
O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer." Amen.

Before the Lord's Supper.

O blessed Saviour, once crucified for me, may
Thy sufferings touch and melt my heart. For-
give my sin and cleanse me with Thy precious
blood. In true faith and holy consecration may
I come to the table of the Lord. There may I
receive, not only the bread and wine, but also
become partaker of the Lord Himself by His
Spirit; so that Christ may live in me. May
Thine uplifted Cross prove an uplift to me spirit-
ually through this service. And in it give me
sweet communion and close fellowship, for Jesus
sake. Amen.

After the Lord's Supper.

O blessed Christ, I have tasted this day of
the peace and presence of the Lord. Thy com-
munion has been sweet and precious. In the
strength of this food may I go on to glory. As
Thou didst sacrifice Thyself for me so may my
life be a sacrifice to Thee. Keep me faithful un-
to death and then as I have sat at the Lord's
Supper on earth may I sit at the Lamb's Supper
in heaven with the Redeemed of God for-
ever. Amen.

278

PRAYERS.

Morning Prayer.
O Lord, for the rest of the night I thank
Thee and also for the light of this new day.
Guide me through this day by Thy presence.
Make me watchful in thought, word, and deed.
Keep temptation from me and me from sin.
Help me to do something for Thee this day. In
all things may I promote Thy glory and the wel-
fare of my fellowmen through Jesus Christ. Amen.

Evening Prayer.

For the blessings of the day I thank Thee O
Lord and also for the rest of the night. May my
sleep be sweet and free from sin. Enable me
ere I sleep to forgive and be at peace with all men
as well as with Thee. O Thou who never sleep-
est, watch over me while I sleep and suffer no
harm or danger nigh. When I sleep may^it be
with Thee and when I awake, may it be to* labor
for Thee,' through Jesus Christ. Amen.

In Temptation.

O God. who art the refuge of the tempted,
suffer me not to be tempted above that I am able ;
but with every temptation make a way of escape
to me. Turn my thoughts away from the temp-
tation to Thee. Help me to turn my back on
sin and say with Jesus "Get thee behind me
Satan." Strengthen me by Thy mighty power that
I may come out of temptation conqueror and
more than conqueror through Him that loved me.
And with the strength of resisted sin and of
Thy Spirit may I go on from grace to grace to
glory, for Christ's sake. Amen,
279

PRAYERS.

After a fall into sin.

O most merciful God, I, a guilty sinner,
prostrate myself before Thy throne. Have mercy
upon me, for I acknowledge my guilt, I confess
my sin with shame and confusion of face. But
Thou art a God of mercy and desirest not the
death of the sinner but rather that he may turn
from his sins and live. Where sin abounded,
grace did much more abound. In Thy mercy
receive me, by the merits of Christ forgive me and
with the blood of Jesus cleanse me. Enable me
hereafter to resist all temptation, especially any
besetting sin and to live entirely to Thy honor
and glory, for Christ's sake. Amen. *

In sickness.

O almighty God, Thou art the refuge of Thy
saints, hear me in my suffering and weakness as
I cry to Thee. O blessed Saviour be my great
Physician and bring me back to health and
strength. Be nearer to me now than Thou hast
ever been to me in health. Give me grace suf-
ficient for my day. I pray Thee most earnestly
for health, but Lord Thou knowest best; help me
to say with Christ "Thy will be done". Sanctify
these sicknesses and pains to me that they may
prepare me the better for heaven, through Jesus
Christ. Amen.

When death is feared.

O Saviour, if I should die be Thou with me.
Be my rod and staff in the dark valley. Thou
hast been near and dear to me in life; be just

* Note. Read or pray the 61st Psalm.

as near to me in death. Make it the gateway to
glory to see Thee forever. Amen.

Table Prayers.

For these gifts of Thy hand O Lord we
thank Thee. Help us to use them for Thy
glory and in Thy service. Amen.

2.

FOR THE MORNING MEAL.

O Lord bless our morning meal. Enable us
to do Thy will this day, through Christ. Amen.
3-

AT NOON.

From our busy duties we gather at this table
O Lord. We recognize Thee as the Giver of it
all. Transform this food into strength and
strength into noble service, for Christ's sake.
Amen.

4.

for EVENING MEAL.

O Saviour abide with us, for it is toward
evening and make Thyself known unto us in the
breaking of bread. Amen.

For Christian Endeavor and other public meetings.
I.
Blessed Saviour, Thou wast young and never
wast old, we come to Thee as Thy young disci-
ples Help us to fashion our lives more like
Thy life. Give us the youthful spirit until we
come to the land of eternal youth, through
Christ. Amen.

281

PRAYERS.

Father, Thou art our Father and we Thy
children. Help us to be like Thee in spirit as
we are in name. Make us dutiful and obedient,
ever mindful of Thy slightest call. Feed us from
Thy fatherly hand and at last gather us in Thy
great family in heaven through Christ. Amen.

3.

O God Thou art light ; be our light. Take
away the darkness of error and of sin. Make our
hearts bright with Thy light and at last take us
from this dark world to Thy home of light
above. Amen.

Sentence and Consecration Pravers.
I.
Lord help me to "tell others all around
What a dear Saviour I have found."
2.
"Lord, save me or I perish."

3-
"Lord, I believe, help Thou my unbelief."'

4.
May I grow in grace as I grow in years.

5.
Lord make me better, nobler, purer.

6.
Consecrate me to Thee, separate me from
sin and dedicate me to Thy service.

7.
"Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean,
wash me and I shall be whiter than snow."
28S

Table of Contents.

Page.

BOOK I

THE HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

The Heidelberg Catechism 5 — 67

BOOK II.

THE SHORTER HEIDELBERG CATECHISM.

The Shorter Heidelberg Catechism... "Ji — 118

BOOK III.

BIBLE HISTORY.

Introductory Section — The Bible 121 — 122

Part I. The Old Testament.
Chapter I. From the Creation to the

Patriarchs 124 — 128

The Creation 123

Cain and Abel 125

The Life of Noah 126

Chapter H. The Patriarchs 128 — 136

Abraham and Isaac 128

Jacob and his Sons 131

Chapter HI. Moses and the Israelites. . 137 — 151

Moses' Early Life 137

Israel's Deliverance fi'om Egypt 138

The Journey to Sinai 142

383

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

Page.
Chapter III. (Continued.)

The Israelites at Mt. Sinai 143

The Tabernacle and its Feasts 144

The Journey to Kadesh Barnea 148

The Journey to Canaan 149 4

Chapter IV. The Conquest of Canaan

and the Time of the Judges 151 — 160

The Life of Joshua 151

The Judges 155

Chapter V. The Monarchy 160 — 172

The Life of Samuel 160

The Reign of Saul 162

The Reign of David 168

The Reign of Solomon 171

Chapter VI. The Divided Kingdom... 172 — 182

Introductory 172

The Age of Elijah 174

The Period of Elisha 177

The Decline of the Northern Kingdom 179

History of the Southern Kingdom 180

Chapter VII. The Captivity and the

Restoration 183 — 187

The Captivity of Babylon 188

The Restoration 185

Part 11. The New Testament.

Chapter I. The Life of Jesus 188 — 210

His Early Life 188

The Year of Obscurity 192

The Year of Popularity 195

The Year of Opposition 197

Passion Week 201

The Day of His Passion 204

The Forty Days of Resurrection 208

^84

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

Page.
Chapter II. The Apostolic Church.... 210—222

The Founding of the Church.. 210

Paul's Missionary Journeys 214

a) His first Missionary Journey 214

b) The second Missionary Journey 215

c) The third Missionary Journey 217

d) Paul's Voyage to Rome 220

BOOK IV.
HISTORY OF THE REFORMED CHURCH.

Chapter I. Switzerland 225—231

UlricZwingli 225

BuUinger and Calvin 229

Chapter II. Germany 231—238

John a'Lasco 232

Elector Frederick III. and the Heidelberg

Catechism 283

The Persecution of the Reformed 236

Chapter III. America 238—245

The Founding of tke Church 238

The History of the Coetus 239

The Early History of the Synod 241

Our Church Government 243

BOOK V.

HYMNS
No.

10. Alas ! and did my Saviour bleed 255

I. All hail the power of Jesus' name 249

18. Am I a soldier of the cross 261

24. Break Thou the bread of life 266

23. Christ for the world we sing 265

9. Come Thou Fount of ev'ry blessing 254

285

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

No. Page.

6. How sweet the name of Jesus sounds... 252

12. I HEARD the voice of Jesus say 256

3. I love Thy kingdom, Lord 250

19, Jesus ! and shall it ever be 261

22. Jesus, I live for Thee 264

21. Jesus, I my cross have taken 263

7. Just as I am, without one plea 253

5. Lord, dismiss us with Thy blessing 251

14. Lord, I am Thine 258

8. More love to Thee, O Christ ! 253

20. My faith looks up to Thee 262

17. My life, my love, I give to Thee 260

II.' My sins, my sins, my Saviour 255

2. Nearer, My God, to Thee 249

15. Oh, happy day 258

13. Rock of Ages 257

4. Sun of my soul, Thou Saviour dear. . . . 251

16. Take my life and let it be 259

BOOK VI.

ADVICE TO CATECHUMENS.

What is Confirmation ? 269

How prepare for Confirmation ? • 270

What are you to do at Confirmation ? 271

What should you do at your first Com-
munion? 271

What are you to do after Confirmation ? 272

The outward Christian Life 273

The inward Christian Life 273

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

Page.
BOOK VII.

PRAYERS.

Prayers 277 — 282

On taking seats in the catechetical class... 277

Before uniting with the Church 277

On taking ones seat in Church 277

Before the Lord's Supper 278

After the Lord's Supper 278

Morning Prayer 279

Evening Prayer 279

In Temptation 279

After a fall Into sin 280

In sickness 280

When death is feared 280

Table Prayers 281

For Christian Endeavor and other public

meetings 281

Sentence and Consecration Prayers 282

3?T

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